The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken a dangerous turn, with the United Nations warning that the disease is spreading at an unprecedented rate.

Julien Harneis, the UN’s senior Ebola coordinator, said on Friday that more than 2,500 people have died since the outbreak began, with about half of the reported deaths occurring within the past 20 days.

Speaking from Bunia, the epicentre of the outbreak, Harneis described the situation as an exponential increase in transmission. He said the disease has now spread across an area larger than France, placing additional pressure on health workers and response teams.

The current outbreak, which was officially declared on May 15, is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DR Congo. Health authorities believe the virus had already been circulating for several weeks before the declaration was made.

The crisis is particularly severe in parts of northern and eastern DR Congo, where weak government presence, limited healthcare facilities and prolonged armed conflict have made efforts to contain the disease more difficult.

Harneis warned that the situation could deteriorate further if additional personnel and resources are not urgently deployed to affected communities.

He said strengthening the response in remote areas could help reduce transmission within months and eventually bring the outbreak under control.

However, he cautioned that inadequate intervention could lead to more deaths and allow the virus to spread beyond the country’s borders into neighbouring nations.

The World Health Organisation has also intensified its response, with thousands of doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine being supplied to affected areas as health agencies work to contain the outbreak.

The UN’s latest warning underscores the urgency of expanding vaccination, surveillance, treatment and community support efforts in the affected regions.