A Red Cross official said on Wednesday that hundreds of refugees have crossed into Uganda following a troubled presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo, heightening concerns about the possible cross-border spread of Ebola.
Irene Nakasiita, spokesperson for the Red Cross in Uganda says the refugee influx started the day after Sunday’s vote and since then dozens of people have been arriving at a time.
DRC’s government cited the Ebola outbreak in the country’s northeast for a contentious decision to bar an estimated 1 million voters from the election. Protests followed, with some people vandalizing Ebola response facilities and some aid groups forced to suspend work for days.
More than 600 Ebola cases have been reported, with more than 360 confirmed deaths since August. The outbreak is the second-deadliest in history.