The UN is intensifying its Ebola response in the DRC and Uganda while warning that protracted displacement has left millions of African refugees stranded in exile for decades.
The United Nations and its global partners are rapidly scaling up emergency interventions to contain volatile Ebola outbreaks in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. However, international officials warn that persistent insecurity, deep-rooted misinformation, and a compounding regional refugee crisis are severely threatening containment efforts.
During a press briefing in New York on Thursday, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that UN agencies are actively supporting national health authorities in eastern DRC. The international response includes managing specialized Ebola treatment centers, optimizing case surveillance, and delivering critical medical supplies.
According to Congolese health authorities, over 90 percent of reported Ebola infections are concentrated within Ituri province, though active cases have also been detected in North and South Kivu.
“The response has been complicated by attacks on frontline workers, particularly during safe burial operations, alongside persistent rumors and mistrust that continue to undermine public health measures,” Dujarric stated.
Simultaneously, the UN is backing government-led containment strategies in Uganda under national coordination structures. Backed by technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), local teams are executing rigorous contact-tracing, infection-prevention protocols, and aggressive public awareness campaigns.
To prevent cross-border transmission, Uganda has expanded health screening across 31 priority entry points, including Entebbe International Airport. Mobile laboratories and rapid response teams have also been deployed to monitor high-risk travel corridors.
Key agencies – including UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) – are sustaining community outreach to stop the virus from penetrating vulnerable populations, particularly displaced communities.
The health emergency coincides with a damning new analysis released by UNHCR, revealing that refugees across Eastern and Southern Africa remain displaced for a median of 16 years. The data underscores a critical need for long-term development solutions rather than temporary emergency aid.
Evaluating registration data spanning from 2001 to 2025, UNHCR found that a staggering 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers were living across the region by the end of 2025. The vast majority fled systemic conflict and instability in Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia.
“Asylum saves lives, but after nearly 16 years of living in limbo, refugees need more than help; they need hope, opportunity, and a way forward,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The crisis is uniquely devastating for children. The UN analysis highlights that children registered as refugees before the age of five spend a median of over 18 years in displacement—meaning an entire generation is transitioning into adulthood without achieving a durable legal or economic solution.
“No child should have to grow up with their future clouded by uncertainty,” Balde emphasized. “An entire generation of refugee children is starting their adult lives in exile.”
UNHCR warned that prolonged displacement risks creating systemic dependency on humanitarian aid. The agency is calling on international stakeholders to expand access to education, legal employment, and safe repatriation frameworks so millions can rebuild their lives with dignity.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
