Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned that hundreds of millions of dollars designated for the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo are failing to reach frontline workers. A report published by MyJoyOnline stated that while the outbreak remains out of control, staff are going unpaid, lack training, and face supply shortages. NewZimbabwe also reported that ambulances have run out of fuel in some cases, further hampering response efforts. More than 5,400 people have died and 11,000 have been infected since the outbreak began in May, making it the second-deadliest ever recorded.
The charity has called on the Congolese government and UN agencies to strengthen oversight and accountability. This follows concerns raised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which reported that $700 million out of $962 million disbursed to implementing organizations was unaccounted for. Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya characterized the issue as a major transparency failure rather than embezzlement. Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba supported the need for transparency, noting on X that only 22% of aid agencies had provided the required details of their work for ministry oversight.
MSF president Javid Abdelmoneim stated, "Our teams are often left speechless by the dysfunctions they witness in many areas. Six months into the response, this situation is simply unacceptable." The charity noted that surveillance teams often exist only on paper, leading to problematic contact tracing. Consequently, two-thirds of deaths are occurring in communities rather than treatment centers. British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson told Reuters that more than half of cases are undetected, suggesting the outbreak could last another year.
MSF criticized the response for an excessive concentration of efforts in some areas while others are neglected. The report stated the response was too slow in North Kivu province and that Haut-Uélé remained dramatically overlooked. Health facilities in these provinces lacked water, chlorine, or triage systems, turning some into new centers of transmission. The outbreak is centered in eastern DR Congo, an area with limited infrastructure and conflict. The Bundibugyo species has spread to Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria, though the last case in Kenya was discharged recently. The BBC has asked the Congolese government for comment.