The European Union (EU) announced on October 8 that it has allocated €1.8 million in humanitarian aid through its Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) to support efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The funding forms part of the EU’s broader on-the-ground response. According to the EU delegation in the DRC, the assistance includes a specially equipped helicopter for medical evacuations and the delivery of essential supplies.

The EU has also set up temporary offices and accommodation in Bulape, the affected health zone, to house up to 36 health experts. In addition, two Norwegian specialists in medical evacuation and patient isolation will join the World Health Organization (WHO) response team through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The Ebola resurgence was declared on September 4 by Health Minister Roger Kamba, after several cases were confirmed in Bulape. Officials say they are encouraged that the virus remains confined to the area, with no signs of spread to neighboring zones.

The Red Cross has launched a $25 million response plan aimed at 965,000 people over 12 weeks, including 23,200 directly affected individuals, patients, contacts, caregivers, and volunteers, and about 680,000 residents in at-risk areas.

In its October 5 update, the WHO reported a stabilizing trend, noting that no new confirmed or probable cases had been detected for ten days, a sign that transmission is coming under control.

Since the start of the resurgence, 64 cases have been reported (53 confirmed and 11 probable), resulting in 43 deaths, a fatality rate of 67.2%. Fifteen patients have recovered, while six remain hospitalized at the Ebola treatment center.

The WHO said that if no new cases appear and the remaining patients recover, the DRC could begin the 42-day countdown before officially declaring the outbreak over.

Timothée Manoke