FAO Expands Ebola Support for 30,000 People in Eastern DR Congo

Veterinary services and community animal health workers will receive training to recognise sick or dead animals, handle them safely and report suspected cases without delay.

Families facing the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are receiving wider support as health risks, food shortages and lost income place further pressure on communities in Ituri and North Kivu. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), backed by the DRC Humanitarian Fund, will assist 30,000 people across five health zones until January 2027, reaching 18,000 people in Ituri and another 12,000 in North Kivu.

Ebola deepens an already severe food crisis

Nearly 10 million people in eastern DRC are experiencing acute food insecurity, leaving families with few resources to absorb another crisis that restricts movement, disrupts local markets and reduces access to farms, jobs and essential services.

When people cannot sell produce, tend livestock or travel safely to markets, their food stocks and savings can disappear quickly. Some families may be forced to sell productive assets, reduce the number of meals they eat or rely more heavily on hunting and gathering, which can increase contact with animals and create further health risks during an outbreak linked to transmission between animals and humans.

One Health connects disease prevention with livelihood protection

FAO's intervention is part of a response led by the Congolese authorities and the United Nations system, complementing the public health work of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. Its activities follow the One Health approach, which recognises that the health of people, animals and the environment is closely connected and must be addressed through coordinated action.

Veterinary services and community animal health workers will receive training to recognise sick or dead animals, handle them safely and report suspected cases without delay. This local surveillance can help communities detect possible threats earlier, reduce unsafe contact and share vital information with the agencies managing the health response.

"An effective response to Ebola depends on action taken both in treatment centres and at community level," said Athman Mravili, FAO Representative ad interim in the DRC. He explained that families who lose crops, livestock or income may turn to whatever resources remain available, even when doing so exposes them to greater danger. Protecting livelihoods, he stressed, is also a way of protecting health.

Seeds, poultry and cash will help families recover

Affected households will receive seeds, agricultural tools, poultry and cash assistance to help them continue producing food and meeting essential needs while the outbreak affects everyday life. These forms of support can allow families to restart cultivation, rebuild small livestock holdings and purchase necessities without resorting to harmful coping strategies.

Cash assistance also gives people the flexibility to decide what their households need most, while purchases made in functioning local markets can support traders and producers across the affected areas. Seeds and tools offer a route back to food production, and poultry can provide eggs, meat and a source of income that supports recovery beyond the immediate emergency.

Damien Mama, Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, said the Humanitarian Fund makes rapid, coordinated and integrated action possible. He described One Health as an essential part of the Ebola response because a virus that moves between animals and people cannot be addressed by the health sector alone.

By combining disease surveillance with practical livelihood assistance, the programme treats families as active partners in preventing infection and rebuilding their lives. Its success will depend on trusted community engagement, timely support and close cooperation among health workers, veterinarians, local authorities and humanitarian organisations.