The United Nations is warning that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is expanding faster than humanitarian and health agencies can contain it, with the epidemic now killing roughly one person every 30 minutes. U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned Friday that “Ebola is winning” and said the international response must accelerate to prevent the virus from becoming even more deadly. As of Aug. 10, health authorities had recorded 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths across five provinces and 53 health zones, making the current outbreak the largest recorded in the country and among the fastest-growing Ebola epidemics documented.

The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a comparatively rare form of the virus for which no licensed vaccine is currently available. Cases have spread across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces, placing additional pressure on health systems already strained by conflict, displacement and limited medical infrastructure. The World Health Organization previously assessed the national risk in the DRC as very high because of continued transmission and expansion into new health zones. Children have been particularly affected: UNICEF reported more than 330 confirmed deaths among children by early August, with mortality among infected children under five exceeding 60%.

International agencies have expanded treatment capacity, surveillance, laboratory testing, infection-control measures and community outreach, while donors have provided nearly $300 million toward the response. Despite those efforts, transmission continues to outpace containment operations. Conflict and population movement in eastern Congo have complicated contact tracing and access to affected communities, while disruptions to routine health services have created additional risks for millions of people.

The outbreak was formally declared in May and surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases within roughly 40 days of response activation, compared with about 235 days during the DRC’s 2018 outbreak. WHO is preparing an updated risk assessment ahead of an International Health Regulations emergency committee meeting scheduled for Aug. 18. Health officials are continuing to evaluate experimental vaccines and treatments while warning that controlling transmission will depend on rapidly identifying cases, isolating patients, tracing contacts and maintaining access to affected communities.