Samaritan's Purse says it will open a 50-bed Ebola treatment centre within a week in northeastern DRC as health authorities battle a Bundibugyo strain outbreak declared a global public health emergency by WHO. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for this rare strain, and responders face supply shortages and attacks on facilities. The organisation plans to work with local churches, distribute information to build community trust, and has equipment — including generators and air conditioners — en route to Ituri.
Samaritan's Purse To Open 50-Bed Ebola Unit In Northeastern DRC Within A Week After WHO Emergency Declaration
Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) place in a coffin the body of Dr Tibenderana Katho Blaise who worked at the Centre Medical Evangelique (CME) in Hoho commune and died of Ebola virus, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, ahead of his burial in Bunia town, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Christian aid organisation Samaritan's Purse said in Geneva on May 27 that it aims to open a 50-bed Ebola treatment centre within a week in the area affected by the outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, its president told Reuters.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for this strain, and medical teams responding to the outbreak are struggling with shortages of supplies.
Responders also face violent pushback in some areas: protesters last week set fire to patient tents in Rwamparaek in Ituri Province. "We have a lot more security available to us in Bunia, so we feel confident that we will be okay from those type of attacks," Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse, said, referring to the provincial capital.
Graham said the organisation, which assisted during the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in Congo, will work closely with local churches and distribute information leaflets to educate communities and build trust with residents.
Materials for the new centre — including generators and air conditioners to help cool patients and staff wearing full protective gear — are due to arrive in Ituri on Wednesday. "You're building a small town," Graham said, describing the logistics of setting up the facility.
Reporting: Emma Farge. Editing: Linda Pasquini.
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