A growing public health emergency is unfolding in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where at least 30 people have died in a displaced persons camp amid fears that Ebola infections may be spreading undetected among thousands of vulnerable residents.
The deaths, recorded since early May at the Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia, Ituri Province, have triggered concern among health officials and humanitarian organizations already battling an Ebola outbreak in the region.
Medical workers say the situation is particularly worrying because many of the deceased reportedly exhibited symptoms commonly associated with Ebola, including high fever, severe headaches and persistent vomiting.
Camp authorities described the spike in fatalities as unprecedented, noting that the number of deaths far exceeds what is typically recorded within the settlement.
A representative of the camp, Désiré Grodya Bapi, expressed concern over the worsening situation.
“People were not dying like this before. This is something we have never experienced,” he said.
The Kigonze camp is home to more than 15,000 people displaced by years of armed conflict in eastern Congo. Aid agencies report that overcrowding, poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare have created conditions that could accelerate the spread of infectious diseases.
Humanitarian workers said efforts to determine the exact cause of the deaths have been hampered by resistance from residents, many of whom have refused to allow medical personnel to test bodies before burial.
According to officials from Catholic aid organization Caritas, several bodies, including those of women and children, were discovered awaiting burial in
