Christians call for ceasefire amid DRC’s Ebola crisis

The World Council of Churches’ (WCC) general secretary, Rev Jerry Pillay has spoken of his deep concern on the Ebola outbreak that has hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

So far 131 people have been killed by the outbreak, which began within the province of Ituri. Officials have stated that there are over 500 suspected cases within the country, while one person has reportedly died in Uganda.

The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern.

The outbreak adds to the DRC’s already considerable list of woes – the country remains to be within the grip of a conflict between government forces, the allegedly Rwanda backed rebel group M23 and Islamist militants.

Pillay said, “This outbreak is unfolding in contexts already burdened by poverty, fragile health systems, food insecurity, displacement, and the long-term impacts of conflict.

“Such socioeconomic vulnerabilities heighten exposure to disease, limit access to timely care, and undermine the flexibility of people and communities to adopt preventive measures.”

He urged churches to do all they might to assist ease the suffering of locals, not only through material assistance but through promoting accurate medical information and countering misinformation.

“We call on governments, international agencies, churches, and civil society to cooperate across borders, to share treatments, technologies, and financial resources in order that essentially the most affected communities usually are not left behind, and to make sure secure and unhindered access for medical examiners and humanitarian actors,” he said.

“We note with grave concern that, based on the WHO, there’s currently no approved vaccine or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola driving this outbreak.”

Pillay also urged all parties in the continuing conflict to bring a halt to military motion and to facilitate the delivery of medical aid and assistance.

“The WCC calls on communities worldwide to accompany essentially the most vulnerable—the sick and their families, medical examiners, displaced people, women and kids in danger, and communities already scarred by violence and poverty—through persistent prayer, courageous advocacy, and concrete acts of solidarity,” he continued.

“In this shared global responsibility, we reaffirm that solidarity must extend beyond emergency response to addressing the foundation causes of vulnerability, including inequality, marginalization, and lack of access to essential services, in order that communities are higher protected against future health crises.”