MONROVIA, LIBERIA — As confirmed Ebola cases surpass 300 in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), international humanitarian organization ActionAid warns that the outbreak, compounded by ongoing armed conflict, is shattering the region’s remaining economic lifelines. For the women of Ituri, the crisis has forced a devastating ultimatum: risk virus exposure in crowded areas to earn a living, or watch their families starve at home.
“In an area already destabilized by armed conflict, this outbreak is breaking the few safety nets women had left,” said Dr. Saani Yakubu, Country Director at ActionAid DRC. “Sadly, some women are being forced to choose between the enhanced risk of contracting the disease in crowded areas or the immediate threat of going hungry if they stay at home.”
A recent rapid needs assessment conducted by ActionAid in the areas of Nyankunde, Nizi, and Bunia highlights the severe systemic shock hitting local communities. The data reveals that fifty-eight percent of households are completely unable to access food markets regularly. Furthermore, sixty-four percent of surveyed families report drastically reduced access to vital services like healthcare, markets, and education due to a combination of fear, conflict-driven insecurity, and strict quarantine measures. The financial burden is widespread, with seventy-four percent of interviewed men reporting severe financial strain on their households caused by market disruptions, fear-driven movement restrictions, and unexpected illness-related costs.
Behind these statistics are real families facing immediate hunger. Dheve Lotsove, an internally displaced mother living with her husband, mother, and seven children in Lonyo, Irumu territory, described how her daily life has evaporated.
“Before, I used to support my family by selling vegetables, onions, tomatoes, bananas, and avocados,” Lotsove told ActionAid. “Every morning, I would carry a basin on my head and walk from village to village. On a good day, I could earn between $20 and $30—enough to feed my children and meet our basic needs. Today, I can no longer travel freely or go to the main market in Bunia where I used to buy my goods. Business has almost stopped, and each day I worry about how I will provide the next meal for my family. As a mother, my biggest fear is for my children. We are already eating less than before, and I worry that they could become malnourished.”
The economic anxiety is rippling fast into neighboring communities like Lita, where supply chains tied to the provincial capital have broken down completely. Maria Zora, a mother living in Lita, explained that most of the food and goods they need come directly from Bunia. Since the Ebola outbreak began and the number of cases keeps increasing, many community members are living in constant fear for the safety of their households.
With formal systems failing, women are leaning on informal networks for survival. Many have turned to localized women’s groups for psychosocial support. While these groups offer a vital emotional outlet to help one another stay strong, they unfortunately lack the resources to provide tangible financial aid. Zora noted that gathering to talk and encourage each other is a survival mechanism, as keeping these intense worries bottled up becomes too difficult emotionally.
The crisis is also threatening the future of the region’s youth, directly disrupting children’s education during a critical academic window. In Nyakunde, end-of-year examinations began on June 2 and are scheduled to run until June 12, but mandatory health protocols mean some students are barred from participating.
An anonymous local school authority expressed deep concern to ActionAid, noting that several students have been placed under a mandatory 21-day quarantine following the tragic death of a parent from Ebola. Because this isolation period directly overlaps with the final exam schedule, educators are deeply worried that these children will miss an irreplaceable part of their education due to tragic circumstances entirely beyond their control.
In response to the compounding crises, ActionAid is actively implementing protection programmes to support vulnerable women and school-aged children across Ituri province. However, the organization emphasizes that broader international intervention is urgently required to prevent a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
ActionAid is calling for immediate funding to be funneled directly to women and youth-led organizations on the ground. As recognized community leaders, these local groups are best positioned to manage transmission prevention, maintain essential daily services, and distribute direct cash transfers to women whose livelihoods have been completely disrupted by the dual threats of war and disease.