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WHO says it has less than half funding needed to fight Ebola

By Reuters Reuters

Updated July 14, 2026 12:39 PM

FILE PHOTO: A health worker in personal protective equipment stands near displaced people waiting for the burial of suspected Ebola victims at the Kigonze displaced persons camp, one month after an outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo — FILE PHOTO: A health worker in personal protective equipment stands near displaced people waiting for the burial of suspected Ebola victims at the Kigonze displaced persons camp, one month after an outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo Gradel Muyisa Mumbere Reuters

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GENEVA - The World Health Organization has received less than half the funding it needs to fight the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a WHO official said on Tuesday, urging donors not to abandon the country at a critical stage of the epidemic.

The global health agency has received about 40% of its $115 million appeal to tackle the Bundibugyo outbreak, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine. At least 1,926 people have been infected and 702 have died, government data show.

"This outbreak requires resources that match the scale of the challenges that we are facing. And this is not a burden DRC can be allowed to carry alone," Chikwe Ihekweazu, head of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters in Geneva after a visit to the worst-hit province of Ituri.

Ihekweazu said the response had reached a critical point, with intensified efforts needed to detect and isolate patients after cases spread this week to two new provinces.

"It's a bit like a marathon. You can't give up after the first lap or the second. You just have to keep pushing even when you're getting tired and exhausted," he said.

He repeated estimates that the true number of Ebola cases in Congo is at least double, and possibly over four times, the official tally.

(Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Linda Pasquini and Mark Potter)

People of the Kigonze displaced persons camp lower a coffin during a funeral of a person who is suspected to have died from Ebola, at Nyamurongo Cemetery, one month after an Ebola outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere — People of the Kigonze displaced persons camp lower a coffin during a funeral of a person who is suspected to have died from Ebola, at Nyamurongo Cemetery, one month after an Ebola outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere Gradel Muyisa Mumbere Reuters

A drone view of displaced people from the Kigonze camp attending the burial of suspected Ebola victims at Nyamurongo Cemetery, one month after an outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere — A drone view of displaced people from the Kigonze camp attending the burial of suspected Ebola victims at Nyamurongo Cemetery, one month after an outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere Gradel Muyisa Mumbere Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 12:16 PM.