World News in Brief: Violence hampers Ebola efforts, aid delivery in Darfur and Gaza, Nicaraguan activist’s death in custody
At least seven civilians were killed in villages in Mambasa Territory, Ituri province, on Sunday, humanitarian partners reported. The attack followed weeks of mounting violence in the province, bringing the death toll to more than 170 in May alone. Violence also continued in North and South Kivu provinces, where armed clashes prevented people from accessing their fields and hampered humanitarian and health workers carrying out Ebola response, as the outbreak continues to expand. There were 321 confirmed cases and 48 deaths as of 31 May, according to the authorities, while at least six people have recovered from the disease. Support on the ground UN support to the Congolese health authorities continues, including by establishing Ebola treatment centres, delivering daily meals to patients and frontline workers, transporting medical supplies and strengthening surveillance. OCHA also highlighted a positive development as the DRC Government announced the re-opening of the airport in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. The airport had been closed for commercial flights since 23 May, although humanitarian cargo and flights by the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) had been allowed on an exceptional basis. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda has risen to 11, including two confirmed deaths as of 1 June, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Some of the cases have been linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC. Aid reaches millions as violence escalates in Sudan’s Darfur region Despite worsening insecurity, restricted access and severe funding shortages, UN agencies and humanitarian partners continue delivering aid across Sudan as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
