Attacks on health facilities and staff hinder Ebola response in Congo's Ituri province
At least a dozen assaults on treatment centers and workers have been reported as security concerns and unpaid-salary strikes impede efforts to contain the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in Ituri, Congo.
Security incidents have escalated in Ituri province, where more than 90% of the 2,181 recorded Ebola cases have occurred, officials said Saturday. Over a dozen attacks on health facilities and response teams have been documented, prompting many workers to leave remote hotspots and seek safety in the provincial capital, Bunia.
"Members of the various response teams have been held captive in some health zones. Teams responsible for safe and dignified burials have been threatened and continue to be threatened in some cemeteries and within several communities," said Dr. Adelard Lufongola, operations manager for the Ebola response.
The violence has been attributed to community anger over restrictions on traditional funeral practices, which are essential for Ebola transmission control. Pierre Akilimali, incident manager for the Ebola response, described the assaults as being carried out by angry mobs targeting treatment centers and field teams.
In addition to the security challenges, health and aid workers have staged strikes over unpaid salaries, further complicating the outbreak response. The United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that the worsening security situation has forced several humanitarian partners to temporarily relocate staff to Bunia, where conditions are relatively safer.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday in Nyakunde, where residents attacked a hospital and an adjacent Ebola treatment center. Treatment resumed the following day after staff and some patients fled, but officials said the disruption raised concerns about possible increased transmission.
"I fear that the aid workers involved in combating this Ebola outbreak are going to leave the area. This risks making the task of eradicating the outbreak more difficult," said Christophe Munyanderu, a civil-society leader in Ituri’s Irumu territory.