Nearly $700 million in Ebola aid remains unaccounted for in DR Congo, raising concerns about financial transparency as the country’s deadly outbreak continues to spread.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for greater accountability from aid organisations receiving international funding.
According to Africanews and the Associated Press, health officials are investigating how hundreds of millions of dollars have been managed during the emergency response.
The concerns come as DR Congo faces its deadliest Ebola outbreak, with more than 4,500 reported deaths.
DR Congo Ebola aid raises transparency concerns
Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya said international donors had provided $962 million to organisations responding to the outbreak in eastern Congo.
However, authorities have received financial accounts covering only a portion of that funding.
Kaseya said organisations had accounted for approximately $200 million. As a result, officials lack a complete picture of how the remaining funds have been managed.
The organisations involved include United Nations agencies, international charities and local humanitarian groups.
These include the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme and other aid organisations.
However, Africa CDC has not publicly identified which organisations have failed to provide sufficient financial records.
Aid organisations asked to explain spending
Only about one-third of the organisations attended a recent financial review meeting organised by Congo’s health ministry.
Those attending reported receiving $228 million in funding.
Of that amount, they said they had spent approximately $127 million, while around $100 million remained available.
Africa CDC criticised the lack of complete financial reporting. It warned that poor transparency makes it difficult for authorities to coordinate the Ebola response.
The agency plans to work with Congolese officials to investigate the funding gaps.
Importantly, the unaccounted-for funds have not been established as stolen or misused. Authorities are seeking documentation to determine how the money was allocated and spent.
Healthcare workers report unpaid salaries
The funding concerns have also drawn attention to the difficult conditions facing frontline healthcare workers.
According to the Associated Press, some medical staff have protested over unpaid salaries, delayed bonuses and dangerous working conditions.
Prince Bahati, a nurse from Bunia in eastern Congo, said workers risk their lives while caring for Ebola patients.
However, some have not received the payments they were promised.
Residents have also questioned how large amounts of international funding are being managed.
These concerns have increased calls for stronger oversight and better cooperation between the government and humanitarian organisations.
DR Congo restricts Ebola aid organisations
Congolese authorities have introduced tighter controls over organisations involved in the outbreak response.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the government had granted accreditation to only 25 organisations out of nearly 100 previously authorised to operate.
Officials are now demanding clearer financial information from humanitarian partners.
Organisations must explain how much funding they received, identify their donors and provide detailed spending plans.
Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya said international funds had not entered the government’s general treasury.
Therefore, authorities want to establish which organisations received the money and how they used it.
Ebola outbreak spreads across eight provinces
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak continues to spread across DR Congo.
Health authorities reported that the virus had reached an eighth province as of Sunday.
Since the outbreak began in mid-May, officials have recorded at least 9,400 cases and more than 4,500 deaths.
The outbreak has also affected neighbouring countries.
Kenya has confirmed eight cases, while Uganda previously reported infections before declaring itself free of the disease.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.
Population movements, insecurity and mistrust have complicated efforts to control transmission.
Greater accountability needed during Ebola emergency
The funding questions have created another challenge for health authorities working to contain the outbreak.
Officials say transparent financial reporting is essential to ensure that medical teams receive the resources they need.
Better coordination could also help improve working conditions and strengthen public trust.
Africa CDC and Congolese authorities are continuing their investigation into the funding discrepancies.
As infections spread, health officials face growing pressure to improve both the medical response and oversight of international assistance.