GENEVA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- UNICEF expressed serious concern on Friday over the children who have represented an unusually high proportion of those affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Two children have already died from the outbreak in the DRC, while six children, who were infected or suspected to be, are currently being treated at the health centers in Beni and Mangina, both in the eastern North Kivu province that has been hit by the disease, UNICEF said.
So far UNICEF has identified 53 orphaned children who have lost their parents to Ebola. "The children affected by the ongoing epidemic need special attention and care," said Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF representative in the DRC. "Women are the primary caregivers for children, so if they are infected with the disease, there is a greater risk that children and families become vulnerable."
The UN children's agency and partners have trained 88 psychosocial workers to assist and comfort children in centers, and to support children who have been discharged once they have been determined to be free of the disease, but may be at risk of stigmatization within the community.
"The impact of the disease on children is not limited to those who have been infected or suspected to be infected," said Rotigliano. "Many children are faced with the illness or death of their parents and loved ones, while some children have lost large parts of their families and become isolated. These children urgently need our support."
UNICEF is currently seeking and supporting foster families for these children, and also providing them with psychosocial care and food assistance.
According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), as of Wednesday 78 Ebola cases had been reported in the DRC, including 51 confirmed and 27 probable, and the death toll has risen to 44.
The WHO said that the public health risk from the outbreak is assessed to be high at the national and regional levels, and low globally.
