Samaritan's Purse Builds 50-Bed Ebola Treatment Center in Congo
Samaritan's Purse has deployed about 300 workers to the Democratic Republic of Congo and airlifted 90,000 pounds of medical supplies to fight a growing Ebola outbreak. The organization is building a 50-bed treatment center near Bunia in Ituri Province. The WHO has declared the Bundibugyo strain outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Samaritan's Purse has sent roughly 300 personnel to the Democratic Republic of Congo as the country battles a deadly Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province. The North Carolina-based Christian relief organization chartered aircraft on May 24, 2026, to transport more than 90,000 pounds of medical equipment from the United States to Uganda, then into the DRC.
The team is building a 50-bed Ebola Treatment Center near Bunia, the provincial capital. The facility will include generators and air conditioning to support medical staff working in full protective gear.
The World Health Organization identified the outbreak as the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Confirmed cases have surpassed 1,000, and the WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern.
Samaritan's Purse is also running community education campaigns with local church partners to address fear and misinformation. The organization has set up handwashing stations and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs across nearly two dozen health zones.
Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, described the response as "running towards the fire." The organization has prior experience in the region, having operated an Ebola treatment center during the 2018-2020 DRC outbreak where they treated more than 600 patients.
Local pastors have reported a sharp rise in daily burials as the outbreak spreads. Samaritan's Purse is asking Christians worldwide to pray for the medical teams and the affected communities.
