Violence against Red Cross workers hampering Ebola response in DR Congo

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday raised the alarm over escalating attacks on its personnel working in conflict-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo's east, warning that the violence is undermining critical Ebola containment efforts.

Six Red Cross workers were injured in separate attacks across Ituri and Haut-Uele provinces during the previous week, the ICRC said in a statement. The incidents underscore the precarious security situation facing humanitarian workers attempting to provide medical care and conduct contact tracing in regions gripped by armed conflict.

The attacks come as health authorities grapple with a resurgence of Ebola cases in the eastern provinces. Red Cross staff play a vital role in the response, including supporting isolation units, training healthcare workers, and educating communities about transmission prevention and safe burial practices.

The ICRC warned that continued attacks on aid workers risk forcing organisations to suspend operations or withdraw from affected areas entirely. Such disruptions could allow the virus to spread unchecked in remote communities with limited access to healthcare.

The DRC has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks in recent years. Security challenges, combined with community mistrust and misinformation about the disease, have repeatedly complicated containment efforts in the conflict-ridden eastern regions.