Ebola outbreak in the DRC: UNICEF ships 90 tons of supplies to help contain spread of deadly disease

KINSHASA, 14 August 2018 – UNICEF is shipping additional 90 tons of health, water and sanitation supplies to help contain the latest outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“These supplies are shipped from our global warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark into DRC, and come in addition to the 14 tons of supplies we have already deployed to the affected zones,” said Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. “The supplies will increase UNICEF’s capacity to inform and protect local communities; to promote access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene practices to help prevent further spread of the disease; and to provide psychosocial support to children and families who need it.”

Thanks to an in-kind contribution from UPS for transport, the supplies are shipped by air and road to the affected areas via Goma and Kigali, and include:

• 10 million water purification tablets,
• 1 ton of chlorine,
• 40 water tanks for an overall capacity of 325m3,
• 2,000 family hygiene kits, and
• 10,000 buckets and diarrhea kits.

Since the outbreak was declared on 1 August, UNICEF has installed 35 chlorination points, as well as handwashing units in 45 public places and in health facilities in the affected areas of Beni and Mangina in North Kivu.

Moreover, UNICEF supported the distribution of prevention posters and leaflets, and worked with communities, in public places and with local radio stations to promote safe hygiene and sanitation practices that help contain the spread of the disease. Through these activities UNICEF has been able to reach already 30,000 people with live saving prevention messages.