Lab holding Ebola in DRC’s Goma at risk amid fighting: Red Cross

The Red Cross voiced alarm over the risk that fighting in the besieged DR Congo’s Goma could cause samples of Ebola and other pathogens held in a laboratory to escape. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Red Cross expressed concern on Tuesday (January 28, 2025) regarding the potential for fighting in the encircled city of Goma in DR Congo to lead to the release of samples of Ebola and other dangerous pathogens stored in a laboratory.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional director for Africa, Patrick Youssef, stated, “We are very worried about the situation in the laboratory of the national biomedical research institute, which is at risk of power outages.”

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Addressing the press in Geneva, he emphasized the importance of “protecting the samples that could be impacted by the conflict,” cautioning about the “unthinkable consequences if the (samples), including the Ebola virus, were to be released.”

Youssef noted that the laboratory was in close proximity to the ICRC delegation in Goma but he had no information on the safety of other laboratories in the city.

Goma, the primary city in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has become a battleground following the entry of fighters from the Tutsi-led M23 armed group and Rwandan forces into central Goma, sparking clashes after a prolonged advance.

The resource-rich eastern part of the country has been marred by conflict between armed groups, supported by neighboring nations, since the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

According to the UN refugee agency, half a million individuals in the region have been displaced from their homes since the beginning of the year.

Already housing an estimated 700,000 internally displaced persons, Goma, a city near the Rwandan border, is facing a dire humanitarian crisis.

The ICRC raised concerns about the impact of the escalating violence on civilians, highlighting a surge in wounded individuals being brought to ICRC-supported facilities, including Goma’s CBCA Ndosho hospital.

Since the start of the month, ICRC staff has treated over 600 injured individuals, with nearly half being civilians, including women and children.

“The injured are transported by various means, including motorcycles, buses, or with the assistance of Congolese Red Cross volunteers,” stated Myriam Favier, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Goma.

“Civilians are arriving with severe gunshot and shrapnel wounds, some even having to lie on the floor due to limited space,” she added.

Francois Moreillon, head of the ICRC’s delegation in DR Congo, mentioned the organization receiving numerous calls from wounded individuals seeking help.