UN Calls for Uninterrupted Aid as Conflict and Disease Surge

Tom Flaherty, the UN’s Under‑Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs, emphasized that the international community cannot afford a piecemeal response to the Ebola epidemic that is racing through the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a virtual briefing hosted by the World Health Organization, Flaherty urged donors and governments to fund large‑scale, continuous operations that provide treatment centres, safe water, sanitation, nutrition, and security for affected populations. He highlighted that trust in humanitarian actors is essential for community cooperation.

“The clock is not on our side,” Flaherty warned, noting that experienced health workers and logistic teams are already risking their lives to contain the outbreak. “We need political will, access, and resources now.”

The UN reiterated its appeal to all warring factions to cease hostilities against civilians and to guarantee safe passage for humanitarian convoys, stressing that any further disruption could worsen both the displacement crisis and the Ebola spread.