DR Congo: Ebola outbreak threatens over a million livelihoods

© WHO Healthcare personnel from the UN peacekeeping mission in the DR Congo, MONUSCO, are trained in Ebola infection prevention.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could push nearly one million more people into poverty, threatening jobs, livelihoods and economic stability across the region, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) warned on Tuesday.

The agency estimates the outbreak could put 300,000 jobs at risk and cost African economies up to $3.6 billion if the crisis spreads and broader regional shocks intensify.

“We are seeing the impact in real time: jobs are disappearing, markets are slowing down and families are being pushed to the edge,” said UNDP Resident Representative Damien Mama.

“When people lose income and access to basic goods, they face impossible choices. In some cases, survival pressures lead them to break quarantine or isolation measures, increasing the risk of transmission.”

More than 1,400 confirmed cases of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, including 350 deaths, have been reported in DRC and Uganda. More than 90 per cent of infections are concentrated in Ituri province, a key cross-border trading hub with Uganda.

The UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric added that women are bearing a disproportionate share of the economic and health impacts while the crisis threatens to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs and disrupt education and healthcare services.

Even if the outbreak is contained, DRC alone could lose more than $1 billion and 55,000 jobs, according to UNDP.

With six in 10 people already living below the poverty line, the agency is working with the Government and local communities to strengthen both the health response and economic recovery.