Japan allocates $3 million to help drc fight ebola outbreak

Japan has announced an emergency grant of $3 million to strengthen the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s battle against the Ebola virus epidemic affecting North Kivu and South Kivu in the eastern part of the country.

According to an official statement from Japan’s embassy in Kinshasa, the funds will be split among three international humanitarian organisations: the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will receive $1.5 million, the World Food Programme $1 million, and the United Nations Children’s Fund $500,000.

This financial support is earmarked for critical interventions in health, water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Japanese authorities believe the contribution will help curb the spread of Ebola not only inside the DRC but also across neighbouring countries at risk of contamination.

“With this contribution, the government of Japan reaffirms its commitment to the principle of human security,” the embassy’s communiqué stated. That principle, according to Tokyo’s diplomatic mission, was the main motivation behind Japan’s positive response to requests from international agencies operating in the DRC.

Amid a series of international funding pledges since the resurgence of Ebola, Public Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba has called on partners to improve coordination and transparency in managing financial resources dedicated to health interventions, particularly the Ebola response in the east.

During a joint briefing on 18 June 2026 in Bunia, Ituri province, alongside Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya, Kamba stressed the need for a unified approach between the government and technical and financial partners. He explained that a large portion of the funds is managed directly by humanitarian organisations without passing through government channels, which creates confusion among the public, who often assume the state controls those resources.

On 17 May 2026, two days after the official declaration of the epidemic, the World Health Organization classified the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus—which had spread from the DRC into Uganda—as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

According to the WHO, the epidemic has expanded geographically, and its true scale may be underestimated. The situation is worsened by high population mobility, fragile health systems, inadequate health infrastructure, and access difficulties in conflict-affected zones.

To date, no licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo virus. Despite these challenges, Congolese authorities remain optimistic, drawing on the experience gained from sixteen previous Ebola outbreaks the country has successfully controlled.