The latest figures marked an increase from 933 confirmed cases and 245 deaths reported a day earlier, according to government data.

Growing concern has centered on Kigonze camp in Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak, where at least 30 people have died since early May. Camp officials and humanitarian workers said the death rate was unprecedented and raised fears that Ebola may be spreading rapidly among displaced populations living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

Kigonze hosts more than 15,000 residents and is located in Ituri province, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the country’s confirmed Ebola infections. Eastern Congo is home to more than five million displaced people, many of whom have fled years of armed conflict and insecurity.

Camp spokesperson Desire Grodya Bapi told Reuters that such a concentration of deaths had never previously been recorded at the site, which normally reports only a handful of deaths each month. Residents and aid workers described victims suffering symptoms commonly associated with Ebola, including fever, headaches and vomiting.

Health officials faced additional challenges because many families initially refused testing of both living patients and deceased relatives. Aid workers said resistance to medical intervention delayed efforts to determine the exact causes of death and complicated disease surveillance.

According to camp officials and humanitarian sources, samples collected from several victims tested positive for Ebola. Footage verified by Reuters showed health teams wearing protective suits disinfecting bodies and preparing coffins while grieving relatives gathered nearby.

The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, although officials said infections and deaths had begun earlier in the month.

Humanitarian organizations warned that deteriorating sanitation infrastructure and funding shortfalls may be contributing to the outbreak’s severity. Several aid agencies said reductions in international support for water, sanitation and hygiene programs have left vulnerable communities more exposed to infectious diseases.

United Nations data indicate that funding for water and sanitation services in Congo fell sharply between 2024 and 2025, while this year’s humanitarian appeal remains significantly underfunded. Aid groups said projects providing clean water access, handwashing facilities and public toilets have been scaled back or discontinued in several Ebola-affected regions.

Conditions inside Kigonze camp remain particularly challenging. Families often share cramped shelters, sanitation facilities are insufficient, and overflowing latrines have become a persistent problem, according to camp representatives and aid workers.

Humanitarian agencies noted that the United States has historically been one of the largest contributors to water and sanitation programs in Congo. However, several organizations reported that U.S.-funded projects serving displaced populations in Ebola-affected provinces have been reduced following recent funding cuts.

The worsening outbreak has heightened concerns among health officials that delayed testing, population displacement and inadequate sanitation could accelerate transmission in one of the world’s most vulnerable humanitarian settings.