Escalating violence across parts of the DRC is severely restricting humanitarian access. According to the United Nations, heavy clashes, including reported drone attacks, in the Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira territories have reportedly killed at least five civilians and injured dozens more.
“On 6 July, unidentified attackers raided an Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, in North Kivu, setting fire to a facility. Since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, humanitarian partners have recorded security incidents targeting Ebola response personnel and other aid workers in Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu provinces, and humanitarian workers were among those injured.”
The renewed fighting is also affecting the routines and schedules of church. Speaking to Christianity Today, Denis Dalanga, founder of Ministère Chrétien des Familles Church, a network of churches largely in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shared how he lost a niece to the virus in May. The church she attended in Mongbwalu, has remained closed as infections in the region have continued increasing. Besides the church in Mongbwalu, Ministère Chrétien des Familles also has six church plants in Bunia and one in Kinshasa—all of which are affected by Ebola.
As families deal with bereavement, violence and displacement, Pastor Dalanga incorporates practical advice into his preaching. Drawing stories from Scripture such as that of Naaman, the Syrian commander who came seeking healing from the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 5, he contextualises the narrative to what churchgoers may be feeling and thinking. “We explain that if we take this disease lightly, we risk contaminating ourselves, our families, and even the whole church,” he explained to Christianity Today. ““We are praying for the victims but it is urgent that people understand the reality of the danger in order to stop this carnage.”
The outbreak of the disease aggravates an already challenging situation in the country. Before Ebola struck, millions were already facing conflict, hunger, displacement, weak basic services and limited healthcare. In a statement the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, highlighted that the situation in the DRC is “more than a public health emergency”.
Fighting has disrupted supply routes, leading to critical shortages of medical supplies. “All parties must facilitate safe and sustained access for humanitarian and health workers, supplies and response equipment, stated Fletcher. “Borders and supply routes must remain open. Closures and blanket travel restrictions disrupt humanitarian operations, health services and essential trade without preventing the spread of disease.”
