UN chief António Guterres warns that the Ebola response is only 48% funded, with resources expected to run out within weeks as violence and displacement hamper containment efforts.

At least 2,700 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with about 500 new cases being recorded each week, as the United Nations warns that the outbreak could worsen without urgent international intervention.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday appealed for an additional $1.1 billion to strengthen efforts to contain the outbreak, warning that the humanitarian response is only 48 per cent funded and that existing resources could run out within weeks.

Guterres said health authorities have the knowledge, expertise and tools required to contain Ebola and save lives, but warned that inadequate funding and what he described as international indifference could seriously undermine the response.

He urged international donors to act quickly before critical operations are forced to scale back.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said ongoing interventions had helped slow transmission but had not yet reversed the overall trend.

The outbreak is spreading in areas already grappling with prolonged conflict, mass displacement and fragile health systems. More than 12 million people across the country are estimated to require humanitarian assistance, further stretching already limited resources.

In Ituri Province alone, about one million people have been displaced, making disease surveillance, contact tracing, treatment and preventive measures increasingly difficult.

Insecurity has further complicated efforts to contain the disease, with more than 40 healthcare workers reportedly killed while treatment centres and ambulances have also come under attack.

The UN said humanitarian and health workers are effectively battling two emergencies at the same time: the Ebola outbreak and ongoing violence.

Guterres warned that without immediate funding, vital response operations could run out of money at a critical moment, just as the outbreak requires a significant expansion of containment and treatment efforts.

The UN is therefore calling on governments, international organisations and other donors to urgently provide the additional funding needed to sustain the response and prevent the outbreak from escalating further.