Fighting Ebola where water and safety are hard to find

“This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, but it is also a crisis within a neglected crisis in the east, where millions of people have been displaced by conflict,” said Anastassia Chkolenok, NRC’s spokesperson in DR Congo.

“As the response scales up, donors must invest in the basic services communities depend on, from healthcare to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, to better protect them against future outbreaks, while ensuring Ebola funding is additional to existing humanitarian support.”

Almost 15 million people in DR Congo already needed humanitarian support before Ebola arrived.

“Ebola has come on top of enormous humanitarian needs that were already there,” said Ollieuz. “The support people relied on before the outbreak still has to continue, but it must be adapted so that it can be provided safely.”

Making exams safer

When Ebola was confirmed in May, children and young people in several grades were about to sit important end-of-year exams.

The Ministry of Education asked NRC to help make the exams safer.

NRC installed handwashing stations at school entrances and supported temperature checks for everyone coming into the buildings.

“This ensured that Ebola did not enter the school, and children, young people, their parents and teachers could feel comfortable with the exams taking place,” said Ollieuz.