DRC - Minutes of the Ad Hoc Meeting on the Ebola Response - Kinshasa, July 1, 2026

Content

1. Epidemiological Update 

Epidemiological Situation

• DRC:
  • 1,333 cumulative confirmed cases
  • 399 deaths (case fatality rate of approximately 29.9%)
  • 189 recovered
  • 609 patients in isolation
  • 26 new cases reported
  • Overall contact tracing rate: 82.7%
• Provincial breakdown:
  • Ituri: 1,214 confirmed cases, 335 deaths, 23 of 36 health zones affected
  • North Kivu: 117 confirmed cases, 63 deaths, 11 of 34 health zones affected

  • South Kivu: 3 confirmed cases, 1 death

     

2. UNHAS Updates 

Operational Situation

• Humanitarian air operations continue between Kinshasa, Bunia, and operational destinations in eastern DRC.
• Government restrictions remain unchanged 
• Passenger flights to Uganda remain limited
• Humanitarian flights remain authorized in accordance with current procedures.
• Assessments of airstrips are continuing at several priority destinations.

Available Air Capacity

• Partners are encouraged to use currently available capacity:
  • Dash-8: up to 3 metric tons of cargo, depending on configuration.
  • IL-76 / wide-body aircraft: capacity of up to 15 metric tons.
  • Caravan: capacity of approximately 1 metric ton.
  • MI-8 helicopter: approximately 2.5 metric tons.
  • Small Airbus helicopter: approximately 500 kg, depending on the distance to be traveled.
• Connectivity (coordination), secure access, and potential saturation of existing hubs

3. Logistics Cluster Updates

Warehousing and Transportation

• Existing warehouses in Bunia continue to receive a significant volume of cargo.
• The Logistics Cluster is working to establish additional storage capacity in Bunia.
• The following services remain available: 
  • Warehousing in Bunia and Kinshasa.
  • Air transport.
  • Road transport.
  • Consolidation services in Entebbe (NTB).
  • Logistics support capacity in Kigali, if necessary.

Use of air assets

• A reminder was issued regarding the Airbus helicopter pre-positioned in Bunia. Despite its availability, few requests have been received so far. Partners are invited to submit their needs for outlying destinations in order to optimize the use of this asset.

Entebbe–Bunia Route

• The resumption of cargo flights between Entebbe and Bunia has been confirmed. Additional flights are scheduled to meet the increased volume of cargo to be transported.

4. Partner Updates

Customs and Clearing

• Eight trucks carrying goods destined for several partners remain stranded
• The logistics documentation is generally complete
• The main obstacle concerns import permits and exemptions applicable to medical shipments related to the Ebola response
• Clarifications from the WFP
• It can arrange transportation to the boundary but cannot handle clearing on behalf of the partners.
• Each organization must have the necessary authorizations or exemptions to import its goods.
• An appropriate authorization must be recognized by Congolese customs authorities before shipments are released.

The relevant partners have been asked to promptly submit the necessary documentation to the Logistics Cluster to facilitate follow-up with the competent authorities

Road Transport Constraints

• IOM has reported growing difficulties in mobilizing carriers capable of responding quickly to the geographical expansion of the response. The main constraints identified are:
• Limited capacity of the local transport market.
• Heavy reliance on a few major carriers in Bunia.
• Sometimes significant delays in responding to urgent requests.

The Logistics Cluster proposed:

• Improving coordination among partners.
• To share transportation schedules.
• Further consolidate shipments with the same destinations.
• To identify and share an expanded database of available carriers. 

Recommendation on Supply Chains

DG ECHO recommended that partners redirect their international shipments to Entebbe (NTB) rather than Kinshasa whenever possible.

Contacts