Japan has disbursed $3 million in emergency aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to bolster the fight against the Ebola outbreak in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
The funding, channelled through three international organisations, will support health interventions, water supply and sanitation. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) receives $1.5 million, the World Food Programme (WFP) $1 million, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) $500,000. Tokyo aims to curb the spread of the Ebola virus not only within the DRC but also in neighbouring countries at risk.
This contribution underscores Japan’s commitment to human security, according to its embassy in Kinshasa. The decision follows requests from international agencies operating in the DRC.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba has called for greater coordination and transparency in managing funds for the Ebola response. Speaking at a joint briefing in Bunia, Ituri province, on 18 June 2026, alongside Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya, Kamba noted that much of the international financial support is handled directly by humanitarian organisations without passing through state coffers. This, he said, creates public confusion about who controls the resources.
The World Health Organization classified the Ebola outbreak—caused by the Bundibugyo virus and already spread from the DRC to Uganda—as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 17 May 2026, just two days after the DRC officially declared the epidemic.
According to the WHO, the outbreak has expanded geographically and its true scale may be underestimated. Challenges include high population mobility, weak health systems, poor infrastructure, and difficult access to conflict-affected areas. No approved vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo virus. Despite these hurdles, Congolese authorities remain optimistic, relying on experience from sixteen previous Ebola outbreaks the country has successfully contained.
