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 starvation
Eastern 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 fighting, displacement and lack of access to sufficient food have affected local communities.
“It’s a place where there are over 500,000 people in IPC 4 of hunger and food insecurity,” he said, referring to the five-phase classification scale used by humanitarians (See our UN News explainer on the evidence-based IPC index here).
“That’s one notch short of mortality from starvation.”
Hunger hampers Ebola response
The veteran humanitarian stressed that food assistance is critical because when people go hungry, they cannot prioritise other challenges, including Ebola.
“If you can’t feed your family, it’s pretty difficult to adhere to health protocols, which is so necessary now,” he said.
“People changing their behaviours, people becoming more compliant to what is needed in the response of Ebola without the basic means to feed themselves is not going to work.”
With the epidemic moving faster than the response, underlying challenges must be considered “and that means food assistance needs to be part and parcel of the community approach.”
‘Stunned’ at inaction
For Mr. Stevenson, the main challenges are building more Ebola treatment centres and securing more resources for food assistance – and getting it out “to the very remote rural areas.”
Despite logistical hurdles, including “terrible” roads that are often impassible, “we always find a way to deliver,” he insisted, but lamented seeming international indifference.
DRC Ebola response is among WFP’s top operations – alongside Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Sudan and South Sudan – and he uunderlined the need for increased financial support.
“I’m stunned that we don’t have the response from the international community directly supporting the food assistance that’s needed so that collectively we can end Ebola,” he said.
“Given the level of the challenge that’s out there, it’s really incumbent on me to be very clear with such an appeal, and we’re asking for support now.”
WFP staff and responders handle boxes of supplies at a logistics site in DR Congo during the Ebola outbreak. (file)
Good nutrition and medical care
Mr. Stevenson has witnessed first-hand how medical care combined with adequate nutrition is saving lives amid the outbreak.
During a recent visit to an Ebola treatment centre he saw a woman who “let out this amazing smile”.
The head of the treatment centre explained that she had been cured of Ebola and was now heading home.
Most never get treatment
“The majority of the people affected Ebola never get to a treatment centre, hence the need for us to be helping build more,” he explained.
“Obviously, this woman who had recovered from Ebola recovered not only because of the medical care she received, but also because of good nutrition, because of food support, which is essential collectively for individuals affected,” he added.
“But, the same logic is true for the entire province, for the entire region of Ebola – that you have to have a comprehensive programme including food assistance, and I think that’s now better recognised and needs to be better resourced.”
