An angry crowd stormed Nyakunde Hospital in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Wednesday, forcing Ebola patients and medical staff to flee the facility. The mob threw stones and breached the perimeter fence, according to François Berocan Uderos, a medical biologist at the hospital, who spoke to Reuters.
Attack Triggered by Denied Blood Transfusion
The attack followed the death of a woman who arrived at the hospital to give birth but was diagnosed with severe anaemia. When her family offered to donate blood, hospital staff refused because transfusions are prohibited under Ebola outbreak protocols. She died at around 3 p.m., and the assault began shortly afterward.
“The medical team has since left the hospital. The generator supplying power to the facility is no longer functioning, and patients have fled,” Uderos said. He confirmed that up to 10 Ebola patients were receiving treatment at the time, and several escaped. By Thursday morning, only three patients remained.
Samaritan's Purse Evacuates Staff
Samaritan's Purse, a Christian humanitarian organisation running an Ebola treatment centre adjacent to the hospital, evacuated its personnel as conditions worsened. Ken Isaacs, the group's vice president, said patients who were well enough also fled during the chaos.
“We evacuated our people and those well enough in the ETC got out and ran. All of Samaritan's Purse got out and we haven't gone back since. There are roadblocks and we don't feel it is safe,” Isaacs stated. He added that patients too ill to leave were abandoned without care. Congo's army announced it had opened an investigation into the unrest.
Broader Context of Hostility and Outbreak Impact
The incident reflects a pattern of hostility toward health teams in eastern Congo, where community mistrust, armed insecurity, and resistance to outside medical intervention have repeatedly obstructed containment. Similar violence occurred during the 2018–2020 outbreak, which claimed more than 25 health workers.
Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak, declared in May, has recorded 2,073 confirmed cases and 796 deaths to date. The security environment has also prompted health workers to threaten strike action, citing inadequate compensation relative to the risks they face.
Outbreak Disrupts Minerals Partnership Talks
Beyond the public health toll, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the outbreak is disrupting negotiations over a major US-backed minerals partnership involving Congo. The US State Department said it was simultaneously working to contain the outbreak and advance the minerals agreement.
Meanwhile, Uganda is preparing to discharge its final Ebola patient on Thursday, July 16, 2026, triggering a 42-day countdown before the country can be declared Ebola-free, according to government spokesperson Alan Kasujja.
