DR Congo Ebola emergency: Calls grow for urgent humanitarian access

Aid teams trying to keep deadly Ebola disease from spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are increasingly concerned about ongoing fighting and violence that has forced thousands of people to flee a displacement camp in the vast, resource-rich east of the country.The latest alert follows reports of security incidents since 20 September linked to an uptick in families fleeing Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia, northeast Ituri province.According to reports, soldiers entered the site searching for weapons and people suspected of belonging to non-State armed groups. Gunshots were also heard. 8,000 infections and countingThe developments come as the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC has surpassed 8,000 for the first time since the current outbreak began, according to health authority data published on Monday.The latest situation report records 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, putting the case fatality rate at 48.4 per cent.Securing humanitarian access to Kigonze camp remains difficult, raising fears that the exodus could complicate efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak.According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, the camp hosts nearly 19,0...