In eastern DRC, UN agencies are supporting national health authorities through Ebola treatment centres, case management, surveillance efforts and delivery of essential medicines and medical supplies.
According to Congolese authorities, more than 90 percent of reported cases are concentrated in the province of Ituri, 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, in Uganda, the UN is supporting government-led efforts to contain the outbreak under national coordination structures.
Authorities, with technical support from WHO, are carrying out contact tracing, surveillance, infection prevention measures and public awareness campaigns.
Uganda has expanded checks at 31 priority entry points, including Entebbe International Airport, while rapid response teams and mobile laboratories have been deployed to strengthen surveillance of cross-border travel and movements.
United Nations agencies, including UNICEF, IOM and UNHCR, continue to support community outreach, screening and surveillance efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.
Refugees in East and Southern Africa exiled for decades
Refugees in eastern and southern Africa remain displaced for around 16 years, according to a new analysis by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, which highlights the need for stronger long-term solutions beyond emergency assistance.
Based on registration data from 2001 to 2025, the analysis found that 6.4 million refugees and asylum seekers were living across the region at the end of 2025.
Many refugees had fled conflict and instability in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, seeking 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 Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Greater vulnerability
Children are among the most affected. Refugees registered before the age of five remain displaced for an average of more than 18 years, often spending their entire childhood and adulthood without a durable solution.
“No child should have to grow up with their future clouded by uncertainty,” Balde said. “An entire generation of refugee children is beginning their adult lives 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 urges restraint as political tensions rise in Somalia
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed alarm at the resumption of violence in Somalia after heavy gunfire erupted in central Mogadishu.
News reports indicate that former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of attacking him ahead of the planned protests.
The Secretary-General highlighted the urgent need for all stakeholders to return to dialogue and identify a path 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 a repeat of past crises
The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) said it and its international partners had repeatedly warned of the risk of a repeat of the political crisis seen in 2021 over disagreements over the electoral roadmap.
The mission noted that those warnings had not been heeded and urged Somali leaders to prioritize the national interest and resume talks that ended on May 15.
International partners, he added, remain willing to support and facilitate renewed dialogue.
