The United Nations has allocated $8 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to strengthen Ebola preparedness in Burundi and South Sudan as both countries face a high risk of cross-border transmission from neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The funding, approved by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, comes as the DRC continues to respond to an Ebola outbreak declared in mid-May.
Although Burundi has not reported any Ebola cases, the UN said the country remains at high risk because of its shared border with the DRC and the large number of people crossing between the two countries each day. Burundi has activated a national preparedness plan following the outbreak declaration in the DRC.
The CERF funding will support disease surveillance, laboratory testing, case management, infection prevention and control, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene services. It will also fund community engagement programmes aimed at improving early detection and rapid response.
South Sudan also faces a heightened risk of Ebola importation because of frequent cross-border movement with the DRC and Uganda.
The South Sudanese government, through the Ministry of Health, has activated a national preparedness and response plan covering 15 high-risk counties. However, the UN said additional resources are urgently needed to strengthen the country’s readiness.
The CERF allocation will help authorities improve their capacity to detect, investigate and contain imported Ebola cases, protect health workers, maintain essential health services and prevent community transmission.
The funding comes as South Sudan continues to battle overlapping humanitarian crises. More than half of the country’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity, while an ongoing cholera outbreak has recorded more than 105,000 cases and over 1,600 deaths since it was declared in September 2024.
The UN said less than one-third of the funding required for South Sudan’s broader 2026 humanitarian response has so far been received.
In the eastern DRC, humanitarian agencies continue to support authorities responding to both the Ebola outbreak and a wider humanitarian crisis in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
Since the outbreak was declared, more than 51,000 people, including health workers and those in treatment or quarantine, have received food assistance, according to the UN.
The UN said containment measures, including temporary border restrictions, have disrupted trade and local markets, reducing food supplies and driving up prices in affected areas.
An estimated 8.7 million people across the three eastern provinces faced acute food insecurity between January and June, including nearly 2.9 million people living in Ebola-affected health zones.
The UN said food security partners have received only about one-quarter of the funding required under the DRC’s 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan and renewed its appeal for donors to increase support.
The $1.4 billion plan, which aims to assist 7.3 million of the country’s most vulnerable people, is currently 53% funded, with $748 million received, the UN said.
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