Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu—three of the five provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the latest Ebola outbreak is raging—have something in common apart from the virus: they have also all experienced mass displacement as a result of ongoing conflict between armed militias. We asked our colleague Jolie Koko to help us understand the impact of the outbreak on women and girls in this already-challenged environment. Jolie is the National Coordinator for Action de la Femme pour le Development (a DRC-based NGO) and was the lead data collector for our 2025 report on the impact of renewed conflict and funding cuts on women, girls, and women-led organizations in Eastern DRC. Here’s what she said:
THE IMPACT OF DISPLACEMENT
In Ituri province, which is the epicenter of the current Ebola outbreak, 26 out of 36 health zones are already affected. In North Kivu, 11 out of 34 health zones have been impacted, and in South Kivu one of the 34 health zones has seen an Ebola caseload. Overall, there have been more than 2,000 cases and almost 800 deaths. The rate of contact tracing is around 77%, according to the national Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile, in South Kivu, recent displacement due to clashes between militias has led to thousands of people fleeing their homes and arriving in host communities in waves. The water, sanitation, nutrition, and household needs of these families has increased tremendously as a result. With such high displacement levels in South Kivu’s Ebola epicenter, the situation is becoming increasingly alarming.
The Congolese government must take this situation to heart and put in place the security measures necessary to protect these communities. The Ministry of Health and public health experts must reinforce prevention measures, especially in regard to contract tracing. Furthermore, humanitarian actors must plan multisectoral responses that consider the intersection of displacement and the outbreak.
THE IMPACT ON LIVELIHOODS
In an effort to control the spread of the virus, Rwanda has closed its borders with DRC. This has had a huge impact on livelihoods, as the majority of female small-scale vendors in this region of DRC source the food they sell from Rwanda. Some of these women now spend their days at home; others go to the markets to see if they can help other women sell their products, in the hopes that they themselves can earn enough to feed their families. One woman told me, “For more than 10 years, I’ve been going to Rwanda to buy my merchandise. I even started to give work to other women who didn’t have the means; they sold items for me in order to make a little money and be able to afford food for their families. But now with the border closed, that’s no longer the case.” Another said, “The situation has become very challenging. Three women drowned in the Ruzizi River because they tried to follow the example of the men who secretly cross the river into Rwanda to fetch cows, pigs, and other goods. That scared us all, and we no longer go.”
With the border closed and income-generating activities limited—and with access to fields becoming even more problematic due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation—securing food is becoming increasingly difficult for most families.
THE IMPACT ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Domestic violence, economic violence, and sexual violence against women and girls are all exacerbated by poverty in DRC. In the majority of families, the women and girls are the main breadwinners, leading to resentment by their husbands and fathers. Meanwhile, other men sexually exploit women and girls with limited economic means. This situation is already bad, and it is rapidly deteriorating in the context of the outbreak, which has put additional emotional stress and financial pressure on families. In Ebola hotspots, young women face a significantly heightened risk of sexual violence, as well as unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape, survival sex, and sexual exploitation.
Additionally, as they are often the first point of contact with families and communities, female medical workers have become targets for violence. In the city of Beni, one nurse was beaten and stoned by community members because she was part of a team sent to respond to a suspected case of Ebola.
THE IMPACT ON WOMEN AS CAREGIVERS AND KIN-KEEPERS
As the pillars of caregiving within families, women and girls are on the frontlines and thus most exposed to the virus. It is the women and girls who are at bedsides of the sick, day and night, feeding them and giving them medicine without the necessary protective equipment.
What makes this even more dangerous is that some families hide their sick relatives for fear that the government or Ebola response workers will take away their loved ones’ bodies. In the case of death, these families bury the deceased themselves, which significantly increases the risk of Ebola exposure. This happens in part because there are still people who do not understand that the disease really exists; they claim it is made up.
Meanwhile, female caregivers like midwives and nurses in the Ebola treatment centers are also at heightened risk of exposure. Some of these women are themselves pregnant, in which case there is a potential double exposure—to the future mother and to the future baby—due to the lack of necessary protective equipment.
We have also learned that young female medical students in their final clinical rotations are dying in large numbers at health facilities in Ituri because they are not adequately protected against the virus.
THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
Many children did not complete the last school year due to the Ebola outbreak, especially if a parent died. The new school year begins on September 7, and given the situation, the return to school will be very difficult for children. Many will lack school supplies due to the impact the outbreak has had on livelihoods, and most in Ebola-affected areas will lack the proper support centers.
THE IMPACT ON MEDICAL CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Women and girls require access to healthcare on a regular basis, yet resources are now extremely limited. Few pregnant women continue to get adequate prenatal care, due to fear of Ebola transmission. Fear of visiting health centers has led to a decline in the ability to properly monitor pregnancies, heightening pregnant women’s anxiety about the possibility of obstetric complications. Furthermore, many births now take place at home, attended by unqualified personnel.
In terms of mental health, the war and the Ebola outbreak exacerbate mental health issues among women and girls. Loss of family members, loss of jobs, their role as the primary caregivers, and the climate of fear trigger trauma, stress, depression, and anxiety. Despite these profound impacts, mental health services and psychosocial support remain underfinanced in this humanitarian emergency. At present, women and girls living in Ebola hotspots aren’t getting any special support, socio-economic activities, or access to healthcare or medicine.
WRC will continue to monitor the situation in DRC and update you as the outbreak evolves.