WFP warns hunger crisis is undermining DR Congo Ebola response

The World Food Programme (WFP) has called on the international community to urgently integrate food assistance into Ebola response efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that severe hunger in eastern provinces is undermining efforts to contain the outbreak.

WFP Country Director for the DRC David Stevenson stressed that the Ebola response must go beyond health care alone, calling for a comprehensive approach that includes food assistance.

In Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, over 500,000 people face Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4 emergency hunger, leaving them just one step away from starvation, he said. Food insecurity weakens people's ability to follow health protocols, he added, while adequate nutrition remains critical for patient recovery.

To curb the virus' spread, the WFP is urging increased financial support. While assisting with logistics, supply chains, and treatment centers, Stevenson underscored the challenge of securing more resources to expand food assistance into remote rural areas, where many infected individuals remain unable to reach health facilities.

The call comes as official data underscores the scale of the emergency. According to national health authorities, the DRC's current Ebola outbreak has accumulated 6,757 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths – a fatality rate of approximately 48.3%.

The virus has now spread across 61 health zones in six eastern provinces – Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo – with Ituri accounting for approximately 80% of all confirmed cases nationwide.