In eastern DRC, UN agencies are supporting national health authorities through Ebola treatment centres, case management, surveillance efforts and the provision of essential medicines and medical supplies.
According to Congolese authorities, more than 90 percent of reported cases are concentrated in Ituri province, although infections have also been detected in North and South Kivu.
The response has been complicated by attacks on frontline workers, particularly during safe burial operations, along with persistent rumors and mistrust that continue to undermine public health measures.
Preventive measures
Meanwhile, the UN in Uganda is supporting government-led efforts to contain the outbreak under national coordination structures.
Authorities, with technical support from WHO, carry out contact tracing, surveillance, infection prevention measures and awareness campaigns.
Uganda has expanded screening at 31 priority entry points, including Entebbe International Airport, while rapid response teams and mobile laboratories have been deployed to strengthen monitoring of travel and cross-border movements.
UN agencies, including UNICEF, IOM and UNHCR, continue to support community outreach, screening and surveillance efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.
Refugees in eastern and southern Africa were in exile for decades
Refugees in eastern and southern Africa remain displaced for around 16 years, according to new analysis from UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, highlighting the need for stronger long-term solutions beyond emergency aid.
Based on registration data from 2001 to 2025, the analysis showed that 6.4 million refugees and asylum seekers were living in the entire region by the end of 2025.
Many refugees had fled conflict and instability in countries including Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, and sought refuge mainly in neighboring countries.
“Asylum saves lives, but after almost 16 years of living in limbo, refugees need more than help; they need hope, opportunities and a way forward,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Increased vulnerability
Children are among the hardest hit. Refugees registered before the age of five remain displaced for an average of more than 18 years, often spending their entire childhood and entering adulthood without a durable solution.
“No child should grow up with their future confused by uncertainty,” Balde said. “A whole generation of refugee children starts their adult life in exile.
UNHCR warned that prolonged displacement risks creating generations dependent on humanitarian aid and called for greater support to expand opportunities for refugees to return home safely, access education and work and rebuild their lives with dignity.
UN calls for restraint as political tensions escalate in Somalia
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed alarm over renewed violence in Somalia after heavy gunfire broke out in central Mogadishu.
News reports indicate that former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of attacking him ahead of planned protests.
The Secretary-General stressed the urgent need for all stakeholders to return to dialogue and identify a way forward that preserves the progress Somalia has made in recent years while ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid actions that could fuel further violence, and resolve political differences through peaceful dialogue.
Warnings of repetition of previous crises
The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) said it and international partners had repeatedly warned of the risk of a repeat of the political crisis seen in 2021 over disagreements over the election roadmap.
The mission noted that these warnings had not been heeded and called on Somali leaders to prioritize the national interest and resume the talks that ended on 15 May.
International partners, it added, remain ready to support and facilitate renewed dialogue.
