[ad_1]
Aid workers are struggling to appease community fears in the conflict-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where 125 people have died of the Ebola virus and cases of the virus are spreading rapidly.
The World Health Organization announced Friday that 200 cases of the deadly virus had been recorded during the outbreak detected on August 1, of which 165 laboratory-confirmed and 35 considered probable.
The UN agency has expressed concern over the increasing number of cases registered in recent weeks, particularly in the city of Beni, near the Ugandan border.
"The insecurity that has increased in the city is one of the reasons we see new cases coming forward," spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva. .
The last outbreak – the 10th in DR Congo since the detection of the Ebola virus in 1976 – has emerged in the troubled North Kivu region of the north-east, home to many armed groups.
Beni authorities have announced measures to protect health workers after a number of incidents during which intervention teams were assaulted.
Fears and misconceptions about the virus have led to widespread mistrust and resistance to workers in the Ebola response, including those arriving in communities dressed in protective clothing suits. to orchestrate the burials.
– Injured Red Cross workers –
Two Red Cross volunteers were seriously injured when they were attacked during the burial of an alleged Ebola victim last week.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (FICR) told AFP on Friday that it was doing everything in its power to minimize the risks to its volunteers on field.
But IFRC General Secretary Elhadj As Sy said the organization would never use armed escorts in the regions.
"We never use the protection of soldiers or armed groups to do our job (…) This is not part of our way of operating," he told AFP.
He added that it was not surprising that people living in an area affected by armed conflict are "totally overwhelmed by another shock such as the Ebola crisis" and may have "wrong reactions".
"It is not unusual for us to encounter such difficulties," he told AFP, adding that much of his organization's work involved keeping a close eye on his life. engage with community members to promote acceptance of the Ebola response work.
While the IFRC is taking "extra protection measures" to protect its volunteers, Sy said there was no plan to withdraw from the problem areas.
"It is precisely when it is the most difficult, when there is the greatest risk, that we need it most," he said.
Meanwhile, WHO temporarily suspended its work to end the epidemic in Beni last month in the face of renewed attacks by armed opposition groups.
Jasarevic said Friday that the agency had resumed operations in the country, but lamented that ongoing attacks and violence between the government and the rebels, although not targeted at Ebola responders, mean that teams "are not able to function fully".
"Every day, we can not go to certain areas for a few hours because of gunfire or demonstrations of the city against violence," he said.
Fear increases among Ebola response workers in conflict-torn areas in DR Congo – including when workers enter communities dressed in an anti-mosquito suit
Ebola patient is raised by two medical officers in Beni town, near the Ugandan border
Source link
