Ebola threat puts South Sudan’s lifesaving trauma care on alert

South Sudan has not reported any cases of Ebola, but an outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo is prompting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to strengthen preparedness amid concerns that cross-border transmission could disrupt care for people wounded in conflict.

“The threat of Ebola is very serious,” Daniel Bunnskog, head of the ICRC delegation in South Sudan, said.

“The Congolese border is very close to where we are standing right now, where people move on a daily basis to meet families and friends.

The risk of transmission and the importation of cases remains very high in South Sudan.” For the ICRC, the concern is not only the potential spread of the virus, but also what an outbreak could mean for treating weapon-wounded patients.

The scale of the operation reveals what is at stake.

During the first half of this year, the ICRC evacuated 266 wounded patients from conflict-affected areas across South Sudan.

This represents an increase of more than 50 percent compared with the same period in 2025.

Since 2014, more than 5,000 patients have been evacuated for emergency surgical care.

“Ebola, if it were to spread into the country, remains a key risk,” Bunnskog said.

“It could lead to complicated access and also make it impossible to treat certain patients and bring them to the hospital.” Preparing Juba Military Hospital At Juba Military Hospital, where the ICRC supports surgical care for weapon-wounded patients, screening, handwashing facilities and staff training have been strengthened.

An isolation tent has also been established for suspected cases.

The hospital is already under pressure.

During the first half of 2026, the number of surgeries at the institution surged by nearly 30 percent compared with the same period last year, leaving the ICRC-supported surgical department operating at more than 100 percent capacity.

Papy Lunduluka Nyimbata, the ICRC hospital project manager, said 15 counties had been identified as high-risk because of their proximity to the DRC and porous borders.