The outbreak is affecting provinces where acute food insecurity was already among the most severe in the country. In eastern DRC, nearly 10 million people are facing acute food insecurity. Restrictions on movement, market disruptions and loss of income linked to the outbreak are further weakening households that are already struggling.
FAO’s response forms part of the coordinated effort led by the national authorities and the United Nations system, complementing the public health response led by the Ministry of Health and the WHO.
Based on the ‘One Health’ approach, the response operates on two fronts: reducing the risk of zoonotic transmission by training veterinary services and community animal health workers to identify, handle safely and report sick or dead animals promptly, and protecting the livelihoods of affected households through the distribution of seeds, tools, poultry and cash assistance.
“An effective response to Ebola depends on action taken both in treatment centres and at community level,” says Athman Mravili, FAO Representative a.i. in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “When a family loses its crops, livestock or income because of the outbreak, it turns to whatever remains within its reach. And that is often what puts it at greater risk. Protecting livelihoods also means protecting health.”
“This is precisely the strength of the Humanitarian Fund: it enables a rapid, coordinated and integrated response. The One Health approach is an essential component of the response,” says Damien Mama, Humanitarian Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Faced with a virus that spreads between animals and humans, our response must also transcend sectoral boundaries and take a holistic approach.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
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