Safety fears limit Ebola response in Congo, with more than 12 attacks on health facilities and workers recorded

By — Prosper Heri Ngorora, Associated Press Prosper Heri Ngorora, Associated Press By — Constant Same Bagalwa, Associated Press Constant Same Bagalwa, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/safety-fears-limit-ebola-response-in-congo-with-more-than-12-attacks-on-health-facilities-and-workers-recorded Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Safety fears limit Ebola response in Congo, with more than 12 attacks on health facilities and workers recorded World Jul 18, 2026 1:34 PM EDT BUNIA, Congo (AP) — At least a dozen attacks on health facilities and workers have been recorded during Congo's Ebola outbreak as safety fears restrict the response in the worst-affected region, authorities said Saturday. Many health workers and other frontline workers in Ituri province have also gone on strike over unpaid salaries, further complicating response efforts in what's been declared the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. So far 2,181 cases have been recorded, including 864 deaths. READ MORE: U.S. citizen working for humanitarian organization in Congo tests positive for Ebola The Bundibugyo virus responsible for this outbreak is less common than others that cause Ebola disease, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Many of the attacks have been carried out by angry mobs who have stormed treatment centers or targeted response teams in the field, Pierre Akilimali, incident manager for the Ebola response, said at a press briefing in Bunia, the capital of Ituri. The attacks are not limited to healthcare teams and affect frontline workers like burial teams, according to Dr. Adelard Lufongola, operations manager for the Ebola response. "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," Lufongola said at the briefing. Ebola spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials. Traditional funerals in which loved ones wash and prepare bodies have been restricted, which has angered some residents. READ MORE: Residents in eastern Congo cling to hope as a new Ebola treatment trial begins In Ituri, which accounts for around 90% of all cases, health and aid workers have been seen leaving remote communities considered hot spots and heading to Bunia in recent days, locals told The Associated Press. U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday told reporters that humanitarian actors are "deeply concerned by escalating violence" impacting the Ebola response and that access to treatment centers and surrounding communities remains constrained. "The worsening security situation has forced several humanitarian partners involved in the Ebola response to temporarily relocate staff to Bunia which is relatively