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UN Official: Ebola outbreak to push 1 million more into poverty in DRC
Damien Mama, the UN Development Programme's resident representative in the DRC, said the Ebola outbreak will push about 1 million more people below the poverty line in a country where six out of every 10 people are already poor. The outbreak is expected to cost Africa $3.6 billion and threaten more than 300,000 jobs.
The UN Development Programme's (UNDP) resident representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Damien Mama, said the ongoing Ebola outbreak could push 1 million more people into poverty in a country where six out of every 10 people already live below the poverty line.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing at the UN Office in Geneva, Mama stressed that the outbreak is not just a health crisis but will also have devastating economic consequences.
As of this week, more than 1,400 confirmed Ebola cases have been identified in the DRC and Uganda, with over 350 deaths, Mama said, adding that the outbreak will create a wave of poverty beyond its direct effects.
Noting that more than 90 percent of confirmed cases are concentrated in Ituri province, a major trading hub, Mama said, "Recent analysis shows that in a country like the DRC, where six out of ten people live below the poverty line, the outbreak will push about 1 million more people into poverty."
Mama said the outbreak could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion and jeopardize more than 300,000 jobs. Even if the outbreak is brought under control, the DRC could lose more than $1 billion in revenue and 55,000 jobs, which could reduce the continent's GDP by $2.37 billion, he said.
Pointing out that people have lost their jobs, markets have slowed, and families are on the brink due to the pandemic, Mama said, "In desperate situations, families are forced to violate isolation measures. That's why medical intervention alone is not enough."
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