A police officer has been killed and some health workers injured after a rebel group attacked an Ebola treatment centre northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The tragedy is the aftermath of yet another onslaught on a treatment centre in Butembo in the North Kivu Province. It experienced a similar attack last week.
The latest treatment centre attack coincided with the visit of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to the Central African country.
“It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and the police officer who died in the latest treatment centre attack, as we continue to mourn those who died in previous attacks while defending the right to health,” Ghebreyesus said.
The UN envoy said the organisation was not deterred by the recurrent deadly attacks in their efforts to halt the Ebola outbreak that has claimed over 500 people since August last year.
“We have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world,” Ghebreyesus said.
He recently concluded a three-day visit to DRC where he met President Felix Tshisekedi, government officials, partner organizations and local responders involved in the response to the Ebola outbreak.
WHO has requested and received further support from the UN and local police forces to protect the treatment centers.
“We are committed to ending the outbreak and improving the health of the people of DRC,” Ghebreyesus said.