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The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 May 2026.

The UK has announced up to £20 million to support communities affected by the deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Up to £20 million of new UK aid funding to help contain the recent outbreak of Ebola in Eastern DRC.
• Funding will support a DRC-led response to protect frontline responders and local communities. 
• UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to co-chair ministerial group to coordinate Government response.

The UK has allocated up to £20 million in new funding to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The funding will help the World Health Organisation, UN, international and NGO partners respond rapidly to the outbreak by strengthening disease surveillance, supporting frontline health workers, improving infection prevention and control, and helping affected communities access lifesaving care. 

Most confirmed cases are in the Ituri region of eastern DRC – a region already facing significant humanitarian and security challenges.

Alongside this funding, UK humanitarian partners are already responding to contain the outbreak. The UK has been working with leading international humanitarian organisations to contain the outbreak. Through the Strategic Assistance for Emergency Response (SAFER) consortium, the UK is pivoting funding to improve water, sanitation and hygiene systems, ensuring frontline responders and local communities have vital personal protective equipment, and strengthening Ebola containment measures. 

The UK is also refocusing efforts to protect maternity facilities and support civil society organisations to strengthen prevention and control, and mitigate the risk of increased birth complications and sexual violence during the outbreak.

Today [21st May] the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chaired a cross-government meeting to coordinate the UK’s response to the outbreak, including how to protect British nationals overseas and work with international partners.  

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

It is vital we act now to save lives – outbreaks like Ebola do not stop at borders, and neither can we.

This outbreak is a stark reminder that global health threats require a global response. The UK is working hand-in-hand with partners – boosting much needed funding but also sharing our technical expertise,  to contain the outbreak, protect our security, and support those most at risk.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is assessing routes by which travellers enter the UK from the affected countries and will be working with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for Transport, and Border Force to ensure information is available to them on Ebola symptoms and how to access healthcare if unwell. The UK has updated its travel advice and advises against all but essential travel to some parts of the DRC.

Additionally, UKHSA has activated the Returning Workers Scheme, which aims to protect and monitor the health of individuals travelling from the UK to affected areas for their work. Organisations deploying workers to affected areas where they may be exposed to Ebola through their work should register those workers with the scheme.  

Dr Mike Reynolds, Incident Director at UKHSA, said: 

While the current outbreak of Ebola affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is serious, the risk it poses to the UK population is low. UKHSA continues to monitor and assess the situation closely and the NHS has safe procedures in place for any such cases and specialist centres where they can be looked after. 

The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team stands ready to activate should requests for support be received from the DRC or Ugandan government, WHO, or other partners involved in response on the ground. 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 May 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Protection of civilians in armed conflict.

First, it is critical that we press all parties to conflict to not only uphold their legal obligations, but to do all they can to protect civilians and minimise harm. 

We are deeply concerned at the Secretary-General’s reporting of 37,000 civilian deaths in conflicts in 2025, with Gaza and Sudan suffering the highest toll. 

 The scale of reported attacks on medical personnel and facilities is alarming. 

This is all the more horrifying as we mark the ten-year anniversary of Security Council resolution 2286, which demanded an end to these attacks. 

We call on all parties to conflict to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, to protect civilians.

Second, as conflicts become increasingly complex, we need to hone our tools and evolve our approaches to best protect civilians.

Technological advances, including AI, are changing the way conflicts are fought. 

As the Secretary-General made clear, we are witnessing a rapid expansion in the use of weaponised UAVs in conflicts, including in Ukraine, Sudan, Lebanon and the DRC, with reports of the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. 

And having listened to the extraordinary intervention of our Russian colleague today, I feel compelled to respond to the hypocrisy. As part of its war of aggression in Ukraine, it has killed over 150 civilians this month alone. Russia is on track to fire more drones into Ukraine this month than any other since the start of the war. Killing dozens, injuring hundreds, and striking homes and civilian infrastructure, including pre-schools.

 But technological advances can also support the protection of civilians. 

For example, UN peacekeeping missions are harnessing technology to improve situational awareness and protection, and we should continue to support this.   

Finally, the protection of civilians depends on our collective action. 

All member states, regional organisations, and the UN play a critical role. 

We should continue using our diplomatic channels to press parties to conflict for humanitarian access and the protection of aid workers, including by supporting the ICRC Global Initiative.

 The United Kingdom will continue using its role in the Council to advance the protection of civilians and accountability. 

And we are also proud to have launched, with international partners, the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice for Sudan to support civilians in one of the most destructive conflicts. 

We look forward to continuing this international coordination to support civilians in conflict wherever they are.