UN warns Ebola outbreak could push nearly 1M more people into poverty in Congo

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak could push nearly 1 million more people into poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

UNDP Resident Representative Damien Mama, speaking from Kinshasa at a weekly Geneva news briefing, said six out of 10 people already lived under poverty line.

He recalled that over 1,400 cases and 350 deaths had been confirmed in the DRC and Uganda as of this week, and cautioned that the numbers continue to rise.

Mama said the Ebola pandemic in DRC is more than just a local health crisis, underlining that over 90% of the confirmed cases are around Ituri province that is also considered a key hub for cross-border trade with neighboring countries.

He warned that the outbreak could cost Africa nearly $3.6 billion and threaten over 300,000 while causing Congo to lose over $1 billion and 55,000 jobs even if it was contained.

Mama also stressed that it could reduce the continental GDP by 2.37 billion.

He added that the impact was already emerging in real time forcing jobs to disappear, slowing down markets and pushing families to the edge.

Mama said some families were forced to break isolation measures, showing that a medical response alone was insufficient.