The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak affecting Ituri Province and neighbouring areas of North and South Kivu. The outbreak is unfolding in a highly complex context marked by persistent armed conflict, large-scale population displacement, attacks on health facilities, and severe constraints on humanitarian access.
An estimated 7.7 million people are affected by the outbreak and its secondary impacts on health systems and essential services. Women, girls, and newborns are among the most vulnerable. Disruptions to maternal health services increase the risk of preventable maternal and neonatal mortality, while frontline health workers face heightened exposure to infection. At the same time, weakened community protection mechanisms are increasing the risk of gender-based violence (GBV) for women and girls.
In response, UNFPA will support national and provincial authorities to sustain access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, including maternal and newborn care, family planning, emergency obstetric services, and the clinical management of rape. These efforts will be complemented by strengthened infection prevention and control measures in health facilities and communities in Ebola-affected areas.
To address escalating protection concerns, UNFPA will reinforce GBV prevention and response systems by adapting service delivery modalities to ensure continued access to psychosocial support, case management, women’s and girls’ safe spaces, and community-based protection services. UNFPA will also strengthen protection from sexual exploitation and abuse mechanisms and support community awareness-raising on available reporting channels and survivor-centred services.
UNFPA is urgently appealing for US$17.1 million to deliver life-saving sexual and reproductive health services, GBV prevention and response interventions, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, and risk communication and community engagement activities in support of the national Ebola response. To date, only 9 per cent of the appeal has been funded. Rapid and flexible funding is critical to prevent excess maternal and neonatal mortality, strengthen community resilience, and contribute to containing the outbreak before it escalates further.
