Ebola spreading exponentially in Congo as death toll tops 2,500, UN says
Aug 22, 2026
Kinshasa [DRC], August 22: More than 2,500 people have now died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak, which is spreading exponentially in an area than France, senior United Nations Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis said on Friday.
Speaking on a video call from the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia, Harneis called for more aid, saying an existing pool of funds is set to run out within weeks.
"The Ebola outbreak is growing exponentially," Harneis said as quoted by Reuters.
"The outbreak is growing faster and wider than the Ebola response. And is generating huge humanitarian needs."
Congo's 17th Ebola epidemic became the biggest in the country's history in terms of the number of cases in late July, surpassing the previous worst outbreak in 2018 to 2020.
Source: Emirates News Agency
