Ebola Complicates Already Dire Hunger Crisis
In Ituri province, where 628,000 people face emergency levels of food insecurity, the arrival of Ebola has pushed conditions further into chaos. A breakdown in markets and supply routes, due to the disease and the lockdown measures, has made it harder for families to get food. Carl Skau, acting head of the World Food Program, described the situation as a 'crisis on top of a crisis.'
The region has been under siege from conflict for years, and nearly 10 million people are already in crisis or emergency hunger levels. Now, 48 health zones are grappling with the fast-moving Ebola outbreak, the fastest on record. With 3,360 confirmed cases and 1,487 deaths since May, health workers are struggling to stay ahead of the virus.
Food is a Form of Health
According to the WFP, food delivery is a critical part of the response. Without it, people may ignore public health advice. 'They will continue to be more concerned about what to eat tomorrow than to follow the guidance,' Skau said. Providing hot meals to patients, their contacts, and health workers is one way to keep people fed and cooperating with efforts to contain the outbreak.