The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing vigorous support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in its response to an outbreak of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus.
On Thursday, a UN plane carrying supplies from the WHO arrived in Bunia, one of the affected areas in the country's northeast. Among the provisions were medicines and protective equipment for health workers, as well as tents that were set up outside a local referral hospital to facilitate triage of up to 60 incoming patients.
The response is also aiming to strengthen disease surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness and management, and community engagement.
Urgency is mounting as the the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda spreads rapidly, with more than 900 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the WHO warned on Monday.
Addressing a high-level virtual ministerial meeting, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said that since the DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, a total of 906 suspected cases and 204 probable deaths have been recorded.
A total of 106 cases have been laboratory-confirmed across the two affected countries, including five in Uganda, all linked to imported cases from the DRC, he said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned over the rapid spread of the outbreak, underscoring the WHO's decision on Friday to upgrade its risk assessment from high to very high at the national level in the DRC.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can cause symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. According to the WHO, Ebola fatality rates vary depending on the viral subtype.
WHO provides support for DRC response to Ebola outbreak
Farmers in Gaza have been forced to find innovative ways to keep their livelihoods ticking over following the devastating conflict, with many now growing vegetables inside recycled tin cans after losing their land during the war.
Inside temporary greenhouses in southern Gaza, Palestinian farmers are growing mint and vegetables inside empty food cans recycled from aid supplies, after suffering severe shortages of essential agricultural materials.
Local farmers say they have been searching for simple alternatives to continue farming amid the widespread destruction, with many seeing their land and crop fields decimated.
"The idea came from the shortage of nylon in Gaza. We started using empty vegetable cans left behind by charity kitchens. We use them as an alternative to nylon and plant inside them," said Mohammad Zaarab, a Palestinian farmer.
Israel's designation of what Palestinians call the 'yellow zone' has swallowed up most of Gaza's available farmland, reducing usable agricultural land to only around six percent, while farmers continue to face the risk of Israeli fire during their work.
"We are exposed to gunfire in this area. Whenever they shoot at us, we hide until the firing stops. We work in fear and risk our lives while farming," said Shadi Zaarab, another farmer.
According to the United Nations, agriculture made up around 10 percent of Gaza's economy before the war, with more than 560,000 Palestinians relying on farming, livestock, or fishing for their livelihoods.
Gaza's Ministry of Agriculture says reusing empty food cans has become one of the few remaining ways for farmers to continue growing and providing food after the war that began in 2023 devastated much of the agricultural sector.
"Since October 7 [2023], about 86 percent of Gaza's agricultural land has been destroyed by the [Israeli] occupation. Farmers have turned to alternatives, especially for growing aromatic plants that Gaza's farmers traditionally relied on for production," said Ali Abu Amer, director of the Khan Younis Governorate under Palestine's Ministry of Agriculture.
The recycled can practice adopted by farmers also has some positive knock-on effect, as collecting and preparing empty food cans has also created limited work opportunities for unemployed youth amid the Israeli blockade.
Gaza farmers turn to growing vegetables in recycled tin cans after losing land
Gaza farmers turn to growing vegetables in recycled tin cans after losing land
