Key facts
- MSF said many frontline responders are trying to contain the outbreak with empty hands and empty pockets.
- Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya said it was too early to call the unaccounted funds embezzlement, citing transparency failures.
- MSF said two-thirds of Ebola deaths were occurring in communities, not treatment centers.
- MSF said the response was too slow in North Kivu province and Haut-Uélé was dramatically overlooked.
- MSF said some health facilities lack water, chlorine or triage systems, turning them into transmission centers.
- The Bundibugyo species has no approved vaccine or treatment, though trials are under way.
Médecins Sans Frontières warned on November 12, 2026 that hundreds of millions of dollars intended to tackle Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo are not reaching the intended recipients. The charity said the outbreak remains out of control and that there is a considerable disconnect between what is disbursed and what gets to patients, frontline workers and communities.
In a report, MSF said many frontline responders are left trying to contain the outbreak with empty hands and empty pockets. It cited cases of healthcare workers not being paid or trained, ambulances left to run without fuel, and a lack of supplies or support for frontline employees. It also mentioned surveillance teams that exist on paper but are nowhere to be seen on the ground.
MSF president Javid Abdelmoneim said: "Our teams are often left speechless by the dysfunctions they witness in many areas. Six months into the response, this situation is simply unacceptable." The charity urged the Congolese government and UN agencies to strengthen oversight and accountability so that money already disbursed is effectively used.
The warning follows concerns raised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention last month. Africa CDC said $700 million out of $962 million disbursed to organizations implementing the Ebola response was unaccounted for. Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya said at the time it was too early to describe it as embezzlement, characterizing the issue as a major transparency and financial reporting failure.
MSF said contact tracing remains deeply problematic and that two-thirds of deaths were occurring in communities not treatment centers. It said the response was too slow in North Kivu province while Haut-Uélé remained dramatically overlooked. In both provinces, MSF observed teams were inadequately resourced, with health facilities lacking essential items such as water, chlorine or triage systems. It said this has turned some facilities into new centers of transmission rather than places of care.