More than 3,000 confirmed Ebola cases and nearly 1,500 deaths have been recorded according to the latest government update, as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues its alarming expansion. Humanitarian organizations warn that the virus is spreading faster than response efforts can contain it, with Julien Harneis, the United Nations’ Ebola response coordinator, describing the situation as an exponentially growing threat that doubles its case count every 20 days.

The coordinator emphasized that the epidemic’s pace far outstrips the ability of health teams to curb its spread, raising urgent concerns about the adequacy of current intervention strategies.

Keeping borders open to curb the spread

In response to the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in DRC, several neighboring and distant nations implemented border restrictions or closures, despite guidance from the World Health Organization urging against such measures.

Rwanda initially shut its land borders with DRC and banned entry for foreign travelers who had recently visited the country. However, by early July, a partial reopening occurred, introducing mandatory handwashing and temperature screening protocols at border crossings.

Uganda also temporarily closed its border posts with DRC, maintaining exceptions for humanitarian aid, security personnel, and essential goods transport.

Beyond Africa, Canada announced in July that it would deny entry to foreign nationals who had visited DRC within the past 21 days and suspend certain immigration document processing for travelers from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.

United Nations officials stress the importance of keeping borders open to facilitate the rapid delivery of medical supplies, enable the movement of response teams, and allow healthcare workers unrestricted access to affected areas in DRC. They warn that border closures could push populations toward unmonitored routes, complicating efforts to track and contain the virus.

Ebola’s devastating impact on food security

The World Food Programme (WFP) describes the outbreak as a crisis layered upon another crisis. Itur, the epicenter of the epidemic, is among the hardest-hit regions, where nearly 1.9 million people require urgent food assistance.

“Many patients are not reached by humanitarian or government support, and it’s their families who bear the burden of their care. Food shortages are hitting rural communities hard, where access to basic nutrition is already a struggle”, explains Butoto Bigiri Naum, head of the local organization Action for Community Development and Well-being (UGEAFI). The group is actively involved in emergency aid projects in DRC, in partnership with the German NGO Help, providing critical support to vulnerable populations facing both health and nutritional crises.

Naum highlights how border restrictions have disrupted food and agricultural input supplies, creating severe challenges in obtaining essential farming resources such as seeds and tools. “The lack of these inputs is crippling local agriculture, making it impossible for farmers to sustain their livelihoods”, he notes.

According to WFP data, over 2.65 million people in Ebola-affected health zones in DRC now face acute food insecurity, including more than 628,000 in emergency conditions. Women, children, and pregnant women are disproportionately affected by restricted food access.

The outbreak exacerbates food insecurity through mobility restrictions that disrupt supply chains, leading to market shortages and price surges. Households struggle to afford staple foods, pushing many toward malnutrition. Agriculture is also suffering, as fear of infection and labor shortages deter farmers from tending their fields, threatening long-term food production and increasing famine risks.

To avert catastrophe, WFP is distributing food aid to Ebola patients, their close contacts, frontline workers, and affected households. This support aims to help families comply with quarantine measures while alleviating the strain on households already struggling to meet basic nutritional needs.

The provision of food assistance not only helps reduce population displacement in search of sustenance but also fosters social conditions more conducive to effective health interventions.