Uganda-DRC Cross-Border Dynamics

On 14 August 2018, 'Dieudonne' [not his real name], a thirteen year old boy who lost eight members of his immediate family to Ebola, stands in Ebola-affected Mangina, North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “There were eight of them and they are all dead,” says Dieudonné*, a young 13-year-old boy living in Mangina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 27 cases of Ebola were recently confirmed. It all started when Dieudonné’s mother fell ill and died. “When we buried Mum, the family was next to her body,” the young boy explains. “Soon after, everyone began to have headaches and diarrhoea.” When his big sister was admitted to the Ebola treatment centre, Dieudonné stayed in the little family home alone, the same house that was the starting point of all his hardship. “Everyone who entered our home fell sick,” the boy recalls. At only 13 years of age, Dieudonné has lost all his bearings, all the people that he loved and on whom he could count. “I don’t have anyone who can take care of me anymore,” sadly explains the young boy, who does not know if his sister will survive the disease. Dieudonné is one of 53 children orphaned by Ebola that UNICEF has identified in the east of the DRC. He currently benefits from psychosocial, material and dietary support. Dieudonné was also vaccinated against the disease a few days ago. The young boy does not what his future will be. “I have to continue to live but I do not know how I will make it,” he explains. “This is serious.” Following the 1 August 2018 announcement by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) of a new Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu, UNICEF has mobilized its teams to help contain the spread of the disease and protect children. The impact of an outbreak on children can be far reaching. It’s known from earlier outbreaks in the DRC as well as in West Africa that children can be affected in various ways. Children ca