Health facilities in Ituri Province don't have the protective equipment needed to contain the Ebola outbreak.
IRC's emergency stocks to support them are running dangerously low.
Border closures, insecurity along transport routes have delayed essential supplies from reaching frontline health workers.
Authorities and donors must act urgently to restore humanitarian access and ensure lifesaving materials reach affected areas.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo,, June 9, 2026 — Restrictions on the movement of humanitarian supplies into eastern DRC are putting health workers and patients at risk as stocks of essential protective equipment are expected to run out within days. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling for access and a surge in funding so that frontline facilities can contain the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province before it spreads further.
The outbreak is unfolding amid prolonged insecurity, rising costs, and deep cuts to global health funding. Temporary border closures with Uganda and Rwanda where many supplies are typically sourced, combined with insecurity along transport routes have increased uncertainty and caused delays, making it increasingly difficult to restock health facilities that were already stretched before the outbreak began.
"Health workers in Ituri are doing everything they can to stop this outbreak from spreading, but they cannot fight Ebola without the most basic tools," said Alice Ribes, Ebola response team lead for the IRC in Bunia. "Every delay increases the risk to patients and communities. We know what it takes to contain Ebola, what we need now is the ability to get critical supplies to the places where they are needed most."
Infection prevention and control is central to containing Ebola. Without adequate protective equipment, triage systems, and hygiene supplies, health workers in facilities cannot safely treat patients or protect workers from exposure, increasing the risk the outbreak will grow. At least 16 health workers have been reported to have contracted Ebola.
Despite these constraints and drawing on long-standing relationships with international suppliers, IRC is currently sourcing critical materials through available channels including limited goods crossings as the air route from Uganda was reopened for humanitarian flights and air shipments from Kinshasa to keep supplies moving to frontline health workers.
IRC is supporting health facilities in Ituri Province with infection prevention and control measures, including hygiene and sanitation improvements, triage systems, and the provision of protective equipment where available. IRC teams are working alongside health authorities and partners to strengthen outbreak preparedness and response efforts while supporting broader health system needs in affected communities.
While IRC, the Ministry of Health and other organizations are doing everything possible to maintain the response, experience shows that containing Ebola requires full, unimpeded access for humanitarian supplies and a surge in funding without both, the risk of the outbreak spreading grows with every passing day.