Since mid-May 2026, more than 300 children have died in the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Children represent nearly a quarter of confirmed cases but account for almost a third of all deaths.

The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province, the most affected area, where nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict. Women and children make up about 80 percent of the displaced population, bearing a disproportionate share of the crisis, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

The health emergency has severely disrupted essential healthcare services. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq noted that in the hardest-hit areas, health service usage has dropped by more than 40 percent in recent months due to fear of infection. This has particularly affected pregnant women, with approximately six women dying weekly from childbirth-related complications, and Ebola infection during pregnancy leading to nearly universal fetal loss.

To address the crisis, the Congolese health ministry, alongside partners including the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), has deployed around 13,000 community workers. WHO convened advisory groups following the declaration of the Bundibugyo species outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 16 May 2026.

Health experts are urging trials of the only vaccine available against the disease to help halt the further spread of this rare Ebola strain.

Sources