UN Warns of Rising Mpox Threat Among African Refugees, Displaced

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has raised alarms over the growing mpox outbreak, warning that it poses a severe threat to refugees and displaced populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected African nations.

The outbreak’s epicenter is South Kivu Province in the DRC, where 42 suspected cases have been reported. Cases have also emerged among refugees in the Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the rise in mpox cases a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on August 14, with the DRC recording over 18,000 suspected cases, 615 deaths, and over 220 cases of a new mpox strain in neighboring countries.

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UNHCR noted that in the conflict-hit provinces of the DRC, home to 7.3 million internally displaced people, the outbreak threatens to worsen already dire living conditions. Refugees in overcrowded shelters have limited access to healthcare and are struggling to implement preventive measures.

The agency stressed the need for international support to expand healthcare services and establish isolation centers to curb the spread of the virus.