UN Chief Warns of 'Virus of Indifference' as Ebola Funding Gap Widens to $1.1B

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on 27 August 2026 that the world must overcome 'the virus of indifference' in responding to DRC's Ebola outbreak — now the largest in the country's history, with more than 5,600 cases and 2,700 deaths since the mid-May declaration and roughly 500 new cases reported every week. Guterres said the humanitarian response is only 48% funded and appealed for an additional $1.1 billion, warning that 'without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money' within weeks. He said fighting and displacement in Ituri Province have uprooted roughly 1 million people, more than 40 healthcare workers have been killed, and treatment centers and ambulances have come under attack, even as community engagement — including artists, influencers, religious leaders and former combatants — has expanded awareness efforts. He also noted that WHO had just declared Uganda's linked outbreak over.