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Humanitarian agencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to announce that more than 2,000 people have been infected with the Ebola virus since the declaration of the outbreak last August.
So far, there have been 1,994 confirmed and probable cases of infection with the virus, making the epidemic the second most important in history. The number of new cases reported is about 10 per day. Some 1,339 people died
Violence by armed groups and mistrust of the community has seriously undermined efforts to stem the epidemic, forcing health workers to suspend immunization and treatment activities.
Last week, DRC military forces killed 26 rebels of a local militia during a clash near the city of Beni.
Acute insecurity has prevented immunization teams from reaching certain areas, while many people are afraid to go to Ebola treatment centers, preferring to stay home and risk transmitting the disease to caregivers and caregivers. neighbors.
In some areas, health workers fear wearing protective gear, fearing being targeted by armed groups, said the World Health Organization.
"Community members do not trust medical staff and humanitarian organizations and do not enter health facilities when they have Ebola symptoms," said Tariq Riebl, director emergency interventions by the International Rescue Committee.
"In Butembo, the current epicenter of the epidemic, doctors and nurses are threatened and health centers regularly attacked, hindering the response and forcing the IRC and others help agencies to frequently suspend their operations. "
Some of the affected communities believe that the epidemic is a false information disseminated by repugnant NGOs and the United Nations to justify their presence in the country and allow the extraction of valuable mineral resources. Others think that the outbreak was created deliberately for the same reason.
"To say that things are not going well is a euphemism. It is time for the international community to realize the seriousness of the crisis, "Riebl said.
Humanitarian workers are concerned about the accelerated spread of the disease. It took 224 days to reach the historical figure of 1,000 confirmed and probable cases. But it took only 71 days to reach nearly 2,000 such cases during the epidemic.
Although a decrease in the number of new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease was reported last week, experts said the numbers should be interpreted with caution, given the complexity of the operating environment and the fragility of the security situation.
Charities have urged the United Nations to step up its efforts to prevent Ebola in the DRC at the highest level of emergency response.
Only three crises – Yemen, Syria and Mozambique – are treated as the equivalent of a level three response, triggered when agencies are unable to meet the needs on the ground.
Last month, the UN announced several measures to strengthen its response, including the appointment of a new emergency coordinator, David Gressly.
Aid agencies, infectious disease experts and the WHO said it would be very difficult to control this outbreak, even though they had had vaccines and experimental drugs from the start .
There is almost no operational status in most of eastern DRC and an almost total lack of basic services such as electricity, education , roads or health care. The authority of the government only extends to the limits of urban areas.
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