Ebola outbreak threatens to devastate Democratic Republic of Congo's most vulnerable communities living in conflict

The Ebola outbreak in the conflict-affected Ituri province of the DRC poses a severe threat to public health and community stability, ActionAid has warned. The charity has called for an urgent, coordinated response to protect vulnerable populations who have been dealing with a prolonged armed conflict.

Yakubu Mohammed Saani, the Country Director of ActionAid DRC, said, "This outbreak threatens to exacerbate years of armed conflict that have already left women and children highly vulnerable to violence, displacement and school drop out."

"I am urging strong, coordinated action to halt the spread of the disease while safeguarding basic rights, education, and essential services. ActionAid is currently undertaking a needs assessment in Ituri province, where we have been implementing programmes for many years."