The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement says attacks on its personnel are making the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo harder after six workers were injured last week. In a statement issued Monday, it reports incidents across multiple provinces where teams are supporting efforts to contain the outbreak.
The Red Cross says a Ugandan Red Cross convoy assisting the response is attacked in Ituri province on August 17, near the outbreak’s epicentre, leaving one person seriously injured and ambulances damaged by stones and vandalism. On August 18, it says two volunteers are injured while conducting a burial in Haut-Uele province; they are evacuated for treatment and two vehicles are damaged. It also says that in Beni, North Kivu province, on Wednesday, three volunteers are attacked and injured and equipment used for the Ebola response is destroyed.
Both outlets report the same core developments: the injuries and reported damage to vehicles and response equipment, and the Red Cross call that attacks on humanitarian workers are unacceptable. They present the events as part of the broader security challenges faced by aid groups during the outbreak response.
