25 Apr 2019 | 04:04 AM UTC
DRC: Ebola responders threaten to go on strike April 24 /update 6
Health workers in Butembo (North Kivu province) stage protest march on April 24, threatening to go on strike if security measures are not improved at Ebola treatment facilities
Event
Doctors and nurses held a protest march in Butembo (North Kivu province) on Wednesday, April 24, to denounce continued attacks targeting Ebola treatment centers. Dozens of health workers participated in the demonstration and threatened to go on strike in the first week of May if authorities do not improve security conditions at the hospital. The protest comes days after gunmen assaulted the World Health Organization (WHO) Ebola center in Butembo on Friday, April 19. A doctor from Cameroon was killed in the attack and two others were also wounded. Additional protests by health workers are possible in the coming days. Further attacks targeting healthcare workers and facilities in North Kivu province are also possible in the near term.
Context
The Ebola treatment center in Butembo has been attacked repeatedly by militants operating in the area. Previously on March 9, at least one police officer was killed and several aid workers were wounded during an attack. The facility, previously run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is now being operated by the Congolese health ministry, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF and reopened on March 3. It was immediately closed on February 27 after gunmen set the center on fire and engaged security forces.
The government's limited presence in the DRC's eastern provinces, including North Kivu, as well as the presence of numerous armed groups and local self-defense militias have led to continued insecurity in the area. Humanitarian organizations have stated that security conditions in the Kivu regions present a major obstacle to delivering humanitarian assistance to those in need, as kidnappings, including of Congolese and foreign aid workers, are frequent in the area.
Advice
Individuals in North Kivu province are advised to monitor the situation, remain vigilant for militant behavior, and take measures to prevent contraction and spread of Ebola virus disease (EVD).
