Ebola crisis: Armed men seize child from hospital in eastern DRC

Thu Jun 18 2026 14:04:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Ebola treatment centre disrupted when armed men storm the Butembo hospital and take a six‑year‑old patient and her mother, deepening fears amid an ongoing outbreak.

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, armed men stormed a treatment centre in Butembo and abducted a six‑year‑old Ebola patient and her mother, sparking a frantic search. Health officials say the child may have known the men, raising concerns about violence against patients. The incident comes amid repeated attacks on Ebola facilities, complicating containment efforts in Conflict‑affected provinces. International health bodies warn that the volatile zone hampers efforts to trace contacts and curb the outbreak, which now counts nearly 200 deaths and 840 confirmed cases.

At the Wanamahika Hospital in Butembo, armed men stormed the facility and seized a six‑year‑old Ebola patient and her mother. Local health officer Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston confirmed that the child was taken by men wielding knives, describing them as "very angry".

It remains unclear whether the abductors knew the child, but fear and mistrust that plague Ebola treatment centres has spurred violence. Authorities warned that residents who resist or sabotage treatment facilities risk worsening their illness and infecting relatives.

The attack is part of a pattern of hostility towards Ebola facilities. Earlier this month, crowds in Mongbwalu fired shots in the air, and in Rwampara a blaze was set to isolation tents after a loved one’s body, believed to have died of Ebola, was denied burial by the health centre.

Broader concerns are sparked by the persistent lack of a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, the current culprit of the outbreak. The World Health Organization and Africa’s Centers for Disease Control have pledged substantial funding, yet the outbreak remains one of the largest in history, threatening to exceed the 11,000 deaths observed in West Africa a decade ago.

Efforts to trace contacts and provide treatment have been hampered by conflict, especially in St. Kivu and North Kivu where rebel actors dominate. "We cannot win if we do not reach all those at risk," said WHO spokesperson Jean Kaseya to a panel of African heads of state.

Health ministers have intensified surveillance in affected provinces and established dedicated treatment centres. Meanwhile, the WHO has allocated $3.9 million, and the Africa CDC announced $319 million in support funds.

Find out more on the Ebola outbreak in DRC: BBC Africa news.