Please refer to the attached file.
Date when the trigger was met
20-05-2026
What happened, where and when?
Regional Context: The regional outbreak remains primarily centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the epidemic has spread across 41 health zones in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, and Haut-Uélé, with the latter two representing newly affected provinces with confirmed cases. In Uganda, the final official tally stands at 20 cumulative confirmed cases and 2 confirmed deaths, with 18 recoveries. According to the National Public Health Institute of South Sudan, as of 24 July, confirmed cases in the DRC continue to grow steadily, with confirmed deaths nearly doubling and suspected cases showing significant fluctuations. Given South Sudan’s geographic proximity to the DRC, this epidemiological trend presents a direct threat to national health security. South Sudan remains at high risk of BVD importation, driven by porous borders, active cross-border trade, humanitarian displacement, and major transit corridors along the western and southern border interfaces with both the DRC and Uganda.
To support the regional response across IFRC Secretariat coverage, the Emergency Appeal has mobilized approximately CHF 29.5 million as of 11 July 2026, representing 56.7% in hard pledges (including in-kind contributions) and 43.3% in soft pledges.
Country Context & Situational assessment: On 15 May 2026, the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare of the DRC and the Ministry of Health of Uganda formally declared an outbreak of Ebola Disease following the confirmation of Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD) in both nations. Consequently, on 16 May 2026, the WHO Director-General declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under International Health Regulations provisions, convening the first Emergency Committee meeting on 19 May 2026 to issue temporary recommendations to State Parties. As of 21 May, 746 suspected cases and 176 suspected deaths were reported in DRC, alongside 85 total confirmed cases (including two in Uganda) and ten confirmed deaths across both affected countries. On 20 May 2026, the South Sudan Ministry of Health and WHO, through the Health Cluster in which SSRC is a member, designated South Sudan as a high-risk country for BVD importation due to porous borders and intense cross-border population movement with DRC and Uganda. All health partners were called upon to initiate preparedness and readiness activities across core response pillars in priority border locations. This aligns with the IFRC BVD risk categorization, which places South Sudan as a Tier 1 country requiring direct preparedness actions.
Following further temporary recommendations issued by the IHR Emergency Committee on 22 May 2026 for land-bordering states, the Health Cluster continues to emphasize high operational alertness. Although South Sudan has recorded no confirmed cases to date, the risk of importation remains elevated due to porous borders, high population mobility, fragile health infrastructure, limited infection prevention and control capacity, and historical vulnerability to public health emergencies.