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DRC Reopens Bunia Airport Amid Growing Ebola Crisis

6/2/2026

Summary

DRC Reopens Airport

DRC reopened Bunia airport in Ituri province on June 1, 2026, allowing passenger flights to resume.
Transport Ministry imposed temperature checks, mandatory hand washing or sanitizer, and barred anyone with fever from boarding.
As of June 1, 2026, officials recorded 321 Ebola cases and 48 deaths in 15 zones, while the International Rescue Committee warned the outbreak could be larger and three months older than reported.

Summary

Bunia Airport Shutdown

The ten-day suspension of commercial flights at Bunia Airport cost regional airlines and logistics firms multi-million dollars in revenue.
Only humanitarian flights operated during the shutdown, preventing total isolation of affected populations.
Armed militia in Ituri hampered contact-tracing and vaccination teams, raising transmission risk.
Kenya’s health ministry labeled 25 counties, including Nairobi, high-risk and upgraded surveillance at 26 entry points with digital tracking.

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DRC Reopens Airport

DRC reopened Bunia airport in Ituri province on June 1, 2026, allowing passenger flights to resume.
Transport Ministry imposed temperature checks, mandatory hand washing or sanitizer, and barred anyone with fever from boarding.
As of June 1, 2026, officials recorded 321 Ebola cases and 48 deaths in 15 zones, while the International Rescue Committee warned the outbreak could be larger and three months older than reported.

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