BUNIA, Democratic Republic of Congo — At least 30 people have died since early May at the Kigonze camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, with some fatalities confirmed to be caused by Ebola amid rising concerns over a potential rapid spread of the disease in the area.

Kigonze, located in Bunia—an epicenter of the ongoing Ebola outbreak—hosts more than 15,000 residents. Officials and aid groups described the recent death toll as unprecedented and warned that the virus may be circulating undetected among eastern Congo’s displaced population, which numbers over 5 million.

While not all deaths have been definitively linked to Ebola, the affected individuals exhibited symptoms consistent with the disease, including fever, vomiting, and headaches. A spokesperson for the camp, Desire Grodya Bapi, noted that the frequency of deaths far surpasses the norm, with the camp usually recording just one to three deaths monthly. “People didn’t just die like this before,” Bapi said.

Camp President Dz’djo Ndrutsi Etienne reported that 10 people were buried during the past week alone. Representatives from Catholic aid organization Caritas, which assists residents in Kigonze, also described scenes of multiple bodies covered in sheets, including those of children and a pregnant woman.

Efforts by medical teams to conduct tests have met significant resistance; both patients and families have reportedly refused to allow testing or examinations of the deceased. Justin Zanamuzi, director of Caritas in Kigonze, said that despite attempts to persuade residents, such refusals complicate efforts to confirm the extent of Ebola’s presence.

Samples collected from five victims have returned some positive Ebola diagnoses, according to camp officials and aid sources, though exact figures have not been disclosed. The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was officially declared on May 15, but camp officials indicated the initial deaths began earlier in the month.

The deteriorating situation in Kigonze is compounded by poor sanitation conditions. Overcrowded plastic tents—holding large families in close proximity—line the camp’s narrow dirt pathways. Toilets available, many originally funded by USAID before its restructuring under the Trump administration, are insufficient and often overflow. Camp spokesperson Grodya described how latrines fill quickly, forcing residents to empty them manually, often without protective equipment.

Shrinking international funding has further strained water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, which are critical to preventing diseases like Ebola that spread through bodily fluids, including contaminated human waste. According to United Nations data, funding toward sanitation facilities in Congo fell by more than half from 2024 to 2025, dropping to approximately $38 million. Current appeals for 2026 have been only 21% funded, leaving critical gaps in support.

Multiple international aid organizations—Mercy Corps, Danish Refugee Council, CARE International, and Oxfam—have reported significant cutbacks or cessation of their U.S.-funded WASH projects in the provinces affected by Ebola since last year. Mercy Corps, for example, had maintained extensive water taps and latrines serving over 125,000 displaced people in 2024, but due to funding cuts, is currently able to provide services to fewer than 19,000 people with a drastically reduced number of facilities.

The Trump administration has defended the reduction in aid by citing a focus on "hyper-prioritized life-saving humanitarian assistance," while the U.S. continues to allocate over $375 million toward Ebola-specific funding. However, the precise extent of current U.S. contributions to camps like Kigonze remains unclear, and the U.S. State Department has not issued an immediate response.

Residents like Kato Lonu, who lost two children, including an infant, underscored the urgency of the crisis. “These are conditions that no human being should have to live in. If you look around, people are dying one after another,” he said, reflecting widespread fear among displaced populations facing the dual threats of Ebola and deteriorating living conditions.