Democratic Republic of Congo

June 1, 2026 10:10 AM

Ebola recoveries bring signs of hope in DRC as suspected cases emerge outside Africa

Four nurses who were being treated for Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus have been discharged from a hospital in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo after recovering from the disease, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. More recoveries are expected, especially when people are diagnosed early and able to access care, and as the response to the outbreak intensifies. A laboratory worker had also recovered earlier this week, the agency said, bringing the total numb...

May 29, 2026 3:30 PM

WHO says 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths from Bundibugyo strain of Ebola

The World Health Organization said on Friday that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 223 suspected deaths that are being investigated. An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is continuing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Uganda. There have been 125 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC, including 17 confirmed deaths in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. There have also been seven confirmed cases of Ebola...

May 27, 2026 10:47 AM

Russian scientists develop vaccine for new Ebola strain: Moscow

Russia has announced that its scientists have developed a vaccine against a new strain of the Ebola virus linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Russian Embassy in South Africa, in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, said, “Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new Ebola strain, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced. According to Russian scientists, the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to t...

May 19, 2026 9:14 AM

Health workers race to contain Congo’s fast-spreading Ebola outbreak

Medical personnel were rushing on Monday to the frontlines of a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where an American missionary was among those who tested positive for the often fatal viral disease. While Congo has experience tackling Ebola, the late detection and quick spread of this outbreak have alarmed health experts. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern because of the high risk the disease could spread fur...

March 3, 2026 8:12 PM

US struggling to de-risk Congo’s ‘war zone minerals’ even after pact, sources say

The U.S. has made progress in its push to prise Congo's strategic minerals from China's orbit, but conflict, contested licences and compliance demands are still slowing Washington's advance into a region its rival dominates, diplomats and industry officials said. Democratic Republic of Congo, which hosts the world's largest cobalt supply and rich copper and lithium reserves, is central to the U.S. push to cut the West's reliance on China for rare minerals. After the U.S. and Congo signed a min...

February 24, 2026 5:40 PM

Congo lakes are releasing ancient carbon, raising climate concerns, study says

Two large lakes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are releasing carbon that has been locked away for thousands of years in surrounding peatlands, scientists said, in what could pose a threat to climate stability. Tropical peatlands, which play a crucial role in climate regulation, were assumed to keep their carbon securely stored for millennia, according to researchers from the ETH Zurich university who published their findings in Nature Geoscience. However, the researchers from ETH Zurich f...

November 14, 2025 10:00 AM

UN agency says 13.7 million people face severe hunger due to global aid cuts

Almost 14 million people in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan risk severe hunger due to cuts in global humanitarian aid, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday. The WFP's biggest donor, the United States, has slashed its foreign aid under President Donald Trump, and other major nations have also made or announced cuts in development and humanitarian assistance. "WFP's funding has never been more challenged. The agency ex...

November 7, 2025 6:42 PM

World Food Programme may have to pause food aid in c due to record low funding

The U.N. World Food Programme warned on Friday it may have to pause food aid to help millions of malnourished people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by February due to a major funding crisis. "We're at historically low levels of funding. We've probably received about $150 million this year," said Cynthia Jones, country director of the WFP for the DRC, pointing to a need for $350 million to help people in desperate need in the West African country. More than 3.2 million people are facin...

October 14, 2025 4:22 PM

Rajnath Singh urges enhanced collaboration in UN peacekeeping operations

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called for Enhanced Consultation, Cooperation, Coordination and Capacity Building — the '4C formula' — as a guiding principle for United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. Speaking at the inaugural session of the UN Troop Contributing Countries (UNTCC) Chiefs’ Conclave in New Delhi, Singh said the approach is essential to address emerging challenges in global peacekeeping. Highlighting the growing complexities faced by peacekeepers, Singh note...

October 6, 2025 4:03 PM

UN Cultural Agency Votes for New Chief after US withdrawal

UNESCO will choose its next chief on Monday to lead the organisation after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it for a second time. While outgoing chief Audrey Azoulay has worked to diversify funding sources, the U.N. culture and education agency still receives about 8% of its budget from Washington. Once the withdrawal takes effect at the end of 2026, that funding will be cut. The White House described UNESCO as supporting "woke, divisive cultural and social causes" when...