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UN official: Ebola outbreak to push 1 million more people into poverty in DRC
Damien Mama, the UN Development Programme's resident representative in the DRC, said the Ebola outbreak will push approximately 1 million more people below the poverty line in a country where already 6 out of 10 people are poor. The outbreak is expected to cost Africa $3.6 billion and threaten more than 300,000 jobs.
Damien Mama, the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) resident representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country could push 1 million more people into poverty in a country where already 6 out of 10 people live below the poverty line.
Mama, speaking at the weekly press briefing at the UN Office in Geneva, emphasized that the outbreak is not just a health crisis but will also have devastating economic consequences.
Mama noted that as of this week, more than 1,400 confirmed Ebola cases have been identified in the DRC and Uganda, with over 350 deaths, and said the outbreak will create a wave of poverty that goes beyond its direct effects.
Mama, drawing attention to the fact that more than 90% of confirmed cases are concentrated in Ituri province, an important trade center, said, "Recent analyses show that in a country like the DRC, where six out of ten people live below the poverty line, the outbreak will push approximately 1 million more people into poverty."
Mama stated that the outbreak could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion and put more than 300,000 jobs at risk. He said that 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 gross domestic product by $2.37 billion.
Mama, pointing out that people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, markets have slowed, and families are on the brink of disaster, said, "In desperate situations, families are forced to violate isolation measures. That is why medical intervention alone is not enough."
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