WHO expresses frustration at insecurity challenges as Ebola virus passes 2,000

Since the beginning of the outbreak last August, more than 1,340 have died.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the World Health Organization has expressed frustration at insecurity challenges as the number of cases of Ebola virus disease has now passed 2,000.

Since the beginning of the outbreak last August, more than 1,340 have died.

The UN response has been hampered by attacks by armed groups, protests and demonstrations, including one in April that killed a WHO medic, Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, in Butembo.

WHO's spokesperson, Tarik Jasarevic, said: "This is another sad, frustrating milestone; the security is holding back the response…Every time there is an incident, whether some of them are major, some of them minor, some of them target Ebola responders, some of them don't, but every time there is a security incident, we are not able to provide services and go into a community. We are not able to vaccinate, we are not able to treat those who are ill, we are not able to follow up on those who may have had access to the virus."

The development follows last week's appointment of a UN Ebola response chief David Gressly, who is also deputy head of UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC, MONUSCO.