Renewed violence in eastern DRC threatens civilians amid Ebola outbreak

Increased deadly attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this week isolate communities and threaten Ebola response, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.



The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the intensifying violence is claiming civilian lives and severely restricting humanitarian access in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.



OCHA said that in North Kivu, local authorities reported an armed attack in Beni territory on Tuesday night that killed at least 24 civilians and triggered fresh displacement.



In neighboring Masisi territory, heavy clashes on Wednesday prompted more residents to flee their homes, compounding a crisis that has displaced 270,000 people as of May.