Since mid-May 2026, more than 300 children have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Ituri province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Children represent nearly a quarter of confirmed cases but account for almost a third of all deaths.

The outbreak is occurring amid a humanitarian crisis where nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict, with women and children comprising about 80 percent of those affected, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

The health emergency is disrupting essential healthcare services. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that in the hardest-hit areas, health service usage has dropped by over 40 percent in recent months due to fear of infection. This decline is particularly affecting pregnant women, contributing to approximately six maternal deaths weekly and near-universal fetal loss associated with Ebola infection during pregnancy.

In response, the Congolese health ministry, alongside partners including the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), has deployed around 13,000 community workers to combat the outbreak.

The WHO declared the Bundibugyo species outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 16 May 2026 and convened advisory groups to address the crisis. Health experts are urging trials of the only vaccine available against Ebola to help halt the spread of this rare strain.

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UN News: Ebola in DR Congo: Childhood deaths rise; hopes raised over new vaccine