Ebola in Butembo: Lack of Clean Water Complicates Prevention Measures

In Butembo, amid an Ebola outbreak, water outages have affected several neighborhoods and schools for three days, making regular handwashing difficult. Households are turning to designated water sources and boreholes, which cannot meet demand; in some neighborhoods, a jerrycan costs as much as 500 Congolese francs. The Butembo-Lubero Children’s Parliament has warned that schools are struggling to maintain hygiene. A humanitarian source says patient care and decontamination can require up to 400 liters of water per patient each day.