Ebola death toll in DR Congo climbs to 101

DRC records 10 deaths and 35 new cases, slams armed groups for hindering health response.The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 101 confirmed Ebola deaths, expressing concern over armed groups hindering the response in the hardest-hit province of Ituri.In its latest situation report on Monday, the DRC’s government said it recorded 35 new confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours, including 10 deaths.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3WHO and Africa CDC unveil $518m Ebola plan as DRC, Uganda death tolls riselist 2 of 3US doctor recovers from Ebola in Germany as DRC cases surge to 488list 3 of 3How the hosts are preparing for an Ebola outbreak during World Cup 2026end of listThe figures brought the total number of confirmed cases to 550 and the total number of confirmed deaths to 101.The outbreak of the Ebola" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="128429" data-entity-type="topic">Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the DRC was announced on May 15, though officials have since said it went undetected for weeks, leaving health authorities behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control.The outbreak is concentrated in three provinces long beset by armed conflict: Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.The country’s government said the latest cases were recorded in 17 of Ituri’s health zones, as well as seven health zones in North Kivu and one in South Kivu.The presence of armed groups in Djugu, Irumu and Mambasa – all in Ituri – was continuing “to limit humanitarian access in multiple health zones affected or at risk”, the report said.It said Bunia, the capital of Ituri, was relatively calm.According to researchers, more than 120 armed groups operate in the three provinces, with conflict there fuelled by ethnic tensions, political rivalries, corruption, and fighting for control of valuable natural resources.The Reuters news agency also reported that mistrust and resistance have hampered the Ebola response in the DRC.