Renewed violence in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is forcing mass displacement from a region where authorities are struggling to contain the Ebola outbreak. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who visited the area recently, estimated that some 400,000 persons are displaced throughout Ituri Province. The International Organization…
The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) organization says Ebola isn’t the only crisis in the Ituri province of Democratic Republic of Congo, and describes the complex situation as unprecedented in its latest appeal for help from the international community. “This is not the first time there are important humanitarian needs in…
The Doctors Without Borders medical NGO says the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo is failing, because of increasing community mistrust but also because of a militarized stance toward communities and their patients. “Right now we are painting the Ebola epidemic as a security emergency,” said Dr. Joanne…
Humanitarian aid workers say the threat of violence because of armed groups along Mali’s border with Niger has sent more than 8,000 people into the village of Kongokiré in the latter’s Tillabéry region. “Many of the displaced in Kongokiré have already been forced to flee several times,” said Innocent Kunywana,…
For the second time in a week, an Ebola treatment facility in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was attacked – this time by armed men who overran a center in Butembo jointly operated by the Ministry of Health and Doctors Without Borders (MSF). There were 40 patients in the facility…
For months, health officials have issued a steady stream of warnings over the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where workers are racing the clock to contain an Ebola virus outbreak and treat its victims. Another disruption at the weekend is underscoring fears that the situation could become…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The twin challenges of malaria and malnutrition are proving a challenge in Niger, where health and humanitarian aid workers say 10 children per day died during the month of August. “We have never seen anything like this before, and we fear it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr….
The global NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has issued a statement saying it has been unable to confirm allegations that its logistics staff members working in Africa were commonly engaged in sexual misconduct, but takes the allegations seriously. The response Thursday followed a BBC report featuring interviews with former employees…
More than 550 people in Democratic Republic of Congo are now being monitored by the country’s Ministry of Health as the latest Ebola virus outbreak threatens to become a crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) plans an emergency meeting Friday to assess the situation, following news of a confirmed case…
Global human rights organization Amnesty International is again pressuring European Union nations to change its policies on migration from Libya, where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped in shocking conditions. That message comes as EU officials said Wednesday that the central Mediterranean transit numbers remain much lower, but the…
Tedros Adhanom, the World Health Organization Director General, was in Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday to personally evaluate the response to the country’s new Ebola outbreak. Tedros met with President Joseph Kabila, Minister of Health Oly Ilunga and other officials before heading out into the field to meet with…
A new outbreak of Ebola virus disease was declared Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where government officials confirmed two cases in the lakeside town of Bikoro in the country’s northwest. The World Health Organization said it was working closely with the DR Congo’s Ministry of Health, after…
The United Nations needs to “change the way we are doing business” when it comes to peacekeeping operations, because the high-risk environments encountered in today’s conflict zones – especially on the African continent – come with new and greater threats to the traditional mission. That’s the conclusion of a newly…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Confirmation of the deaths of six Red Cross volunteers in Central African Republic (CAR) last week comes with a warning about how dangerous CAR is becoming for humanitarian aid workers. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) said the six local volunteers were attending a crisis meeting at…