Ebola Outbreak Leaves 135 Children Orphaned as Nearly 3 Million More Face Danger

A Crisis Within a Crisis

As of June 22, there were 1,094 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease in the DRC, with 277 confirmed deaths. But behind those numbers lies a more intimate tragedy. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell put it plainly: "Our teams in Ituri have met children who have lost their mothers, and in some cases both parents, to Ebola." Children, she said, are trying to make sense of the threat while surrounded by rumors and online misinformation.

This outbreak is now the second largest Ebola outbreak on record — and the 17th outbreak of Ebola in DRC. The number of cases has risen faster than in any other Ebola outbreak to date. It is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Officials acknowledge that many infections are likely going undetected and that the peak of the epidemic may still lie ahead.

Children Are Dying at Alarming Rates

As in past Ebola outbreaks in the region, the youngest face the highest fatality rates, with children and adolescents almost twice as likely to die from the disease as adults. So far, children represent around 15 percent of the confirmed cases, yet account for over 25 percent of confirmed deaths. The reason is heartbreakingly simple. "Children are especially vulnerable because they depend on caregivers and cannot distance themselves from a sick parent or sibling in the same way that an adult can," said UNICEF's Russell.

An estimated 2.95 million children and adolescents aged 18 and under — representing 54 percent of the population in 31 affected health zones — are at risk from Ebola itself and the breakdown of essential services in eastern DRC. Ituri Province, particularly the Mongbwalu, Rwampara, and Bunia health zones, remains the epicenter, with cases also reported in North Kivu and South Kivu. The outbreak has also crossed borders: in neighboring Uganda, there are at least 20 confirmed cases, largely linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC, and two deaths. At least one child in Uganda has tested positive and 19 children are under quarantine monitoring.

Orphaned, Malnourished, and Already Behind

In Ituri, 135 children orphaned by the outbreak are receiving support, including psychosocial care, referral to essential social services, and alternative care arrangements. The first UNICEF-supported nursery has recently opened — a safe space providing care and protection for infants and young children separated from their parents while they receive treatment at an Ebola treatment center. Two additional nurseries are expected to open soon.

In Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, more than half of children under age 5 are chronically malnourished, and more than 1 in 5 are "zero-dose" children, meaning they have never received a single vaccine. These conditions make Ebola especially risky, as early symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses such as malaria, delaying detection and increasing the risk of contagion. Fear is compounding the problem too: health workers reported that people had stopped coming in for routine care out of fear — and "when families stop seeking care, children miss vaccinations and illnesses go untreated, and the outbreak starts costing lives it never directly touched."

A Race Against Time and Funding Gaps

Contact tracing remains a serious concern, with only 58% of identified contacts followed up on — far below the 90% to 95% target that WHO considers necessary to contain the outbreak. While testing capacity has been improving, surveillance and contact tracing capacities remain constrained by insecurity, access restrictions, and other factors.

UNICEF is calling for immediate, safe, and sustained humanitarian access to affected communities, and is initially seeking $70.7 million for its six-month response, with $20 million still unfunded. With the outbreak accelerating faster than any in DRC's history, the window to protect nearly three million children — many of whom were already hanging by a thread before Ebola arrived — is narrowing by the day.