Congo Ebola response hit by worker protests over late pay

Ebola response workers in eastern Congo staged protests this week to call for the government to pay salaries and allowances that they say are nearly three months overdue. Dozens of health workers gathered outside Ebola treatment centres in Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu, all in Ituri province, on Sunday and Monday, calling for immediate payment of the salaries and allowances. In Mongbwalu on Monday, police dispersed demonstrators after they caused a disruption outside a hospital. The health workers stated in a letter to President Felix Tshisekedi, "We are facing an unjust situation that seriously jeopardises the continuation of the response effort."

Congo's communications ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and President Tshisekedi has not publicly responded. Ebola response efforts are also disrupted by security incidents amid persistent community mistrust. A group of young men in Niania, Ituri province, briefly blocked a U.N. World Food Programme helicopter from landing on Tuesday and threw projectiles at an Ebola treatment centre, prompting police to fire warning shots. In North Kivu province, rumors on social media about health authorities planning to impose a curfew sparked protests in Butembo on Monday. An ambulance sent to evacuate a suspected Ebola case was vandalized in Beni on Saturday. The outbreak has infected 3,802 people and killed 1,707 since it was declared on May 15.