New York, June 5, 2026 — The United Nations and its partners are continuing coordinated efforts to contain Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, while cautioning that insecurity and misinformation are significantly hampering response operations.
This update was provided in New York on Thursday by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a press briefing.
He said UN agencies are working closely with health authorities in eastern DRC, supporting treatment centres, case management, disease surveillance, and the supply of essential medicines and equipment.
Health data from Congolese authorities shows that over 90 per cent of confirmed cases are located in Ituri province, with additional infections recorded in North and South Kivu.
Response teams, however, have faced growing challenges, including attacks on health workers during safe burial activities, as well as widespread misinformation and distrust that continue to undermine public health interventions.
In Uganda, the UN is backing government-led containment measures coordinated through national emergency structures.
With technical assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO), officials are conducting contact tracing, strengthening infection prevention efforts, and running public awareness campaigns.
Screening has also been expanded to 31 key border entry points, including Entebbe International Airport, while mobile laboratories and rapid response teams have been deployed to improve monitoring of cross-border movement.
UN agencies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), are also supporting outreach, screening, and surveillance activities to curb further spread.
In a related development, a new UNHCR analysis shows that refugees in Eastern and Southern Africa remain in displacement for an average of about 16 years, underscoring the limitations of short-term humanitarian assistance.
Based on registration records from 2001 to 2025, the report estimates that about 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers were living in the region by the end of 2025.
Many of them fled violence and instability in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia, with most seeking safety in neighbouring states.
“While asylum saves lives, spending nearly 16 years in limbo means refugees need more than assistance—they need lasting solutions, opportunity and hope,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The report also highlighted the impact on children, noting that those registered before age five remain displaced for a median period exceeding 18 years, often growing up and reaching adulthood without durable solutions.
“No child should grow up with their future clouded by uncertainty. An entire generation is coming of age in exile,” Balde added.
UNHCR warned that prolonged displacement risks entrenching dependence on humanitarian aid and urged stronger global support for safe returns, access to education and employment, and long-term reintegration opportunities for refugees.