Health workers in protective gear conduct decontamination procedures during the 2026 Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and former head of USAID's foreign disaster assistance during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, warned PBS NewsHour that without a stronger U.S. response, this outbreak could become one of the deadliest on record. Photo: PBS NewsHour
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June 16, 2026
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC is escalating fast, and experts say the U.S. is largely on the sidelines. Here is what the dismantling of USAID means for global outbreak response and why one former official says America has abandoned its responsibility.
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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is escalating quickly. There are growing warnings that, without a stronger response, this Ebola outbreak could become one of the deadliest. William Brangham takes a closer look with Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International. In 2014, he ran USAID’s foreign disaster assistance when Ebola broke out in Africa.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
Read over this article on the Ebola outbreak in DRC: what to know and how to help, which takes a look at how a major non-profit organization, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), is tackling the problem. After students are finished reading, they should brainstorm further action steps that can be taken by the U.S. government, the international community and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help solve this outbreak before it continues spreading. Some guiding questions can be:
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
