世界粮食计划署代理执行主任卡尔·斯考警告，刚果东部正在经历的埃博拉疫情正在恶化该地区已经严峻的粮食短缺局面。[1] 疫情防控措施导致市场运作受阻、供应路线中断，进一步推高了食品和燃料价格，斯考将这一局势描述为"危机上的危机"。[1]
截至目前，埃博拉疫情已确诊3,360例病例，造成1,487例死亡，自5月15日宣布爆发以来持续蔓延。[1] 在48个受疫情影响的卫生区，超过270万人正面临急性粮食不安全困境，其中628,000人处于紧急状况。[1] Ituri省情况尤为严峻，该省有190万人已陷入饥荒危机或紧急程度的饥饿。[1] 这一危机建立在刚果东部长期武装冲突的基础上——该地区已有近1,000万人处于危机或紧急饥荒水平。[1]
为缓解人道主义困境，世界粮食计划署已向17个埃博拉治疗和隔离中心的患者、接触者和一线工作人员提供了超过160,000份热食。[1] 此次疫情由Bundibugyo病毒引发，目前尚无批准的疫苗或治疗方法可用。[1]
The World Food Programme has issued an urgent warning that the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is dramatically escalating an already severe food security crisis in the region. Acting Executive Director Carl Skau characterized the situation as "a crisis on top of a crisis," noting that more than 2.7 million people across 48 health zones affected by the epidemic now face acute food insecurity, with 628,000 in emergency conditions [1]. In Ituri Province alone, 1.9 million people are experiencing famine or emergency-level hunger [1].
Ebola control measures have disrupted markets and supply routes, pushing food and fuel prices higher and worsening malnutrition outcomes [1]. "Now the Ebola crisis is making things worse. Markets are affected, supply routes are affected, and it is more difficult for people to get enough food," Skau stated [1]. The virus itself—identified as the Bundibugyo strain—currently has no approved vaccine or treatment [1]. Since the outbreak was declared on May 15, there have been 3,360 confirmed cases resulting in 1,487 deaths [1].
The World Food Programme has responded by distributing over 160,000 hot meals to patients, contacts, and frontline workers across 17 treatment and isolation centers [1]. The food crisis compounds a longer-standing humanitarian emergency; eastern Congo's protracted conflicts have already pushed nearly 10 million people into crisis or emergency hunger levels [1].