Since October 24, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 406 cases of an unidentified illness, with at least 31 deaths in the past two weeks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak is being investigated in the remote Kwango province near the Angolan border. “The exact cause remains uncertain,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told NBC News, noting that multiple diseases could be contributing factors. Laboratory tests are ongoing to identify the cause.
The outbreak in the Panzi health zone, which is located in a rural and remote area with limited access to diagnostics, has been particularly alarming because of its high rate of mortality and the fact that most of the cases are children under five, WHO says. The agency is working with local authorities to address the situation, which is considered a public health emergency and a potential humanitarian crisis, WHO says.
Congo is rich in natural resources, but it remains one of the most impoverished countries in the world. Decades of clashes between the country’s armed forces and non-State armed groups have led to widespread violations of human rights, displaced 7 million people within the country, and forced more than 1 million to seek asylum beyond its borders.
Fighting has intensified in recent months, causing a spike in the number of new cases of conflict-related diseases and a rise in malnutrition. The current conflict has also increased the vulnerability of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and communities living in host sites, which often lack shelter, safe water, and sanitation and struggle to generate income.
A resurgence in violence between the government and various rebel groups has exacerbated the decade-long conflict. The deteriorating security situation has caused mass casualties and increased displacement in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri.
Women in DRC have fewer economic opportunities and are at higher risk for malnutrition, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence (GBV). In addition, the presence of armed groups in host communities increases the risks of attacks against civilians and IDPs, as well as of intercommunal violence and cross-border recruitment of children by armed groups.
