The Kigonze displacement camp in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been largely abandoned after thousands fled clashes and a fire destroyed a key Ebola transit center, the UN reported Thursday. The site, which once housed around 19,000 people, was emptied as security forces entered to search for weapons and armed groups, with gunfire reported during the operation.
The transit center, operated by International Medical Corps and supported by more than 50 staff, was used to isolate and assess suspected cases before patients were transferred for treatment. Its destruction further disrupted containment efforts in an outbreak that has now spread to seven provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicenter.
As of September 29, Congolese authorities had recorded 8,224 confirmed cases and 3,982 deaths, putting the case fatality rate at 48.4%. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, has surpassed the toll of DR Congo’s 2018-2020 epidemic.
Ebola response teams have also faced disruptions in nearby Rhoe displacement camp in Ituri’s Djugu territory, where more than 3,000 people have fled since clashes intensified on September 27, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. At least four people were reportedly killed and seven injured.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday that a recent decline in reported cases does not mean the outbreak is under control, as insecurity has disrupted surveillance in affected areas. Of the 63 health zones affected, 45 were still reporting active transmission.
Africa CDC’s Dr.
Humanitarian agencies have called for protection of the 32,000 displaced people affected by the closures of Kigonze and nearby camps.
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