Volunteer cook brings comfort to Ebola patients in Congo outbreak

In the heart of eastern Congo’s Ebola outbreak, a volunteer cook named Arlette Basekawike is providing critical comfort to patients and health workers at the Evangelical Medical Center in Bunia. Basekawike, a volunteer for the U.N.

food agency, prepares meals such as porridge, omelets, bread, fresh fish with fufu, and fruit for those affected by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola species confirmed in May. As of Tuesday, the World Health Organization reported 321 cases and 48 deaths in Congo’s eastern provinces of Ituri, North and South Kivu, with nine cases and one death in neighboring Uganda.

Uganda has closed its border with Congo, while Bunia’s airport reopened for domestic flights with temperature checks and strict sanitary measures. The International Organization for Migration urged governments to strengthen cross-border coordination instead, warning that border closures could drive movement underground and increase transmission risks.

The region already faces a severe food crisis due to ongoing conflict, complicating outbreak management. The World Food Program is struggling with aid cuts from the U.S.

and other partners, hampering containment efforts. Attacks on health workers and slow aid delivery remain challenges.

At least five people have recovered, and more than 400 meals have been served since food assistance began Thursday. However, without more funding, responders may not be able to prioritize every suspected case.