Ebola response in eastern DR Congo must include food aid, WFP says

As Ebola sweeps across the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ensuring families meet their basic food needs is crucial to halt the spread of the deadly disease.That’s the message from the World Food Programme (WFP), which is calling for greater international support for the population, particularly hungry people in remote areas far from lifesaving Ebola treatment centres.“Ebola is a health crisis, there’s no question about that,” David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for the DRC, recently told UN News.“But at the same time, since Ebola is in eastern Congo and that area is so tragically affected by conflict, by food insecurity, by displacement, it needs to have a comprehensive approach.”On the brink of starvationEastern DRC has long been a restive region in a country that has battled Ebola 17 times since the virus was first discovered some 50 years ago. WFP has been on the frontlines since the current outbreak was declared on 15 May. Caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, it is the fastest on record, with more than 5,500 cases and 2,642 deaths in the first 100 days alone. Mr. Stevenson has visited Ituri province, the epicentre of the crisis, and has seen how years of fi...