Containing the Ebola emergency in Democratic Republic of Congo
A deepening emergency
The DRC has faced years of overlapping emergencies — conflict, displacement, disease. Now Ebola has returned, striking communities in North Kivu and Ituri, two of the country's most unstable and hard-to-reach provinces. Hospitals are not equipped to appropriately deal with this situation. Roads are insecure. And the virus does not wait.
The WHO's declaration of a global health emergency, with 89 deaths, 12 confirmed cases, and 336 suspected cases reported at the time of declaration, has triggered an international response — and Medair was already there.
We're currently supporting 46 health facilities. As soon as the outbreak was declared, we began implementing Ebola Response activities in these ones. We also have a track record of responding to disease outbreaks: the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo, COVID-19, Mpox in 2024, and regularly respond to outbreaks of cholera, malaria, measles, and acute watery diarrhoea.
That same team is now mobilised on the frontlines of this Ebola crisis, responding with both speed and compassion.
"We are reaching an alarming stage of this crisis. But we will not give up. We are there to save lives." — Dr. Pierre-Olivier Ngadjole, Health & Nutrition Advisor – Medair DR Congo
We urgently need to intervene now: we need medicines, water treatment equipment, and therapeutic food to treat child malnutrition.
Together, we can bring life and hope.
Courage in action: Medair's response on the ground
North Kivu and Ituri are among the most complex humanitarian environments in the world. Armed conflict, displacement, and distrust of Ebola Response activities make containing the outbreak extraordinarily difficult. Every day of delay costs lives.
Medair's agile, experienced teams are already in the field — but sustaining and scaling this response requires your support. This is a critical moment. The decisions made in the coming days and weeks will determine whether this outbreak is contained or whether it spreads further.
Learn how we help the affected region.
Transparency and efficiency promise
We pledge 100% accountability — see field reports, audited report, and impact summaries.
In 2024, 89% of Medair International's expenditure was directed toward humanitarian activities.
Let’s act now to relieve those who suffer in silence
These children and families need your help to survive. Help stop Ebola outbreak in DR Congo now
Frequently Asked Questions
Monthly gifts mean we can count on your regular support, which helps us meet our programmes' biggest needs. It also helps us plan better for the future and invest in more sustainable projects that build people’s resilience and help restore communities. In emergencies, your regular support helps us preposition supplies and support so we can act fast to save more lives.
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Yes. We understand that sometimes circumstances change that may impact your giving to Medair. In this case, you can contact your local Support Office who will be able to walk you through your different options.
We are transparent about our finances and committed to using them wisely – 88.9% goes directly to delivering humanitarian assistance and 11.1% to supporting management and fundraising efforts. We are certified to the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS), which demonstrates our programme excellence. And we are deeply committed to upholding and being accountable to our codes of ethics and protection policies. Percentages might not total 100% due to rounding.