Mob storms Ebola hospital in Congo over demand for bodies of kin

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is worsening amid rising community resistance and violent attacks on health facilities, undermining efforts to contain the virus.

Angry residents stormed the Mongbwalu General Hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, demanding the release of the bodies of relatives suspected to have died from Ebola, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Gunfire was reported during the incident, forcing medical staff to evacuate patients as the situation escalated.

The attack is part of a broader pattern of insecurity surrounding the outbreak in Ituri Province, where at least two treatment centres have been burned in recent days, and aid workers have faced growing hostility.

Authorities say local opposition is being driven in part by restrictions on traditional burial practices, which have been tightened because Ebola-infected bodies remain highly contagious.

Health officials have mandated that burials be handled by trained teams to prevent further transmission, a policy that has triggered anger among some families. In response to rising tensions, gatherings have been restricted, but enforcement has fuelled further unrest.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the outbreak as a “very high” public health risk nationally, as case numbers continue to rise and suspected deaths increase, although the global risk remains low.

Humanitarian groups, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), say repeated attacks and displacement of patients are severely hampering containment efforts.

The outbreak has also been complicated by earlier undetected transmission of a rare Ebola strain, raising concerns that the virus may have spread for weeks before detection.

By Aghakazim Guliyev