Mongbwalu MSF ETU Set on Fire — 18 Suspected Patients Escape into Community

Angry residents arrived at the MSF-operated Ebola Treatment Unit in Mongbwalu, Ituri Province, on the night of 22 May and set fire to a tent housing suspected and confirmed Ebola cases. The blaze caused 18 suspected Ebola patients to flee into the surrounding community, raising urgent concerns about ongoing transmission chains. Mongbwalu, a gold-mining town in northeastern Ituri, had been one of the most active transmission zones. MSF condemned the attack, stating it posed a direct threat to outbreak containment. This was the second ETU attack in two days, following the Rwampara incident on May 21. WHO warned that attacks on healthcare facilities would 'set back the response by weeks.'