The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned about the devastating impact of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reporting that 1,162 children have died from the virus since the outbreak was declared in May.

UNICEF DRC Communications Director Halimatou Amadou said that more than 1,900 children had lost their parents or caregivers, or had become separated from them due to the Ebola outbreak.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing of the UN Office in Geneva, Amadou said that as of September 29, Ebola had been confirmed in 2,076 children across the DRC, with 1,162 children losing their lives.

She said children account for slightly more than one-quarter of confirmed Ebola cases and nearly one-third of all deaths, warning that mortality rates are especially high among children under the age of 5.

High fatality rate

Amadou said nearly seven out of every 10 confirmed Ebola cases result in death.

She noted that the outbreak continues in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, which host around 4.4 million displaced people, adding that humanitarian conditions in the region are making efforts to contain the outbreak more difficult.

UNICEF said it needs $113.4 million to continue its Ebola response efforts in the DRC, but only slightly more than one-third of the required funding has been secured so far.

The Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 in Ituri province after 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths were reported in eastern DRC.(ILKHA)