A Ticking Time Bomb

As the embattled city of Goma in the Congo descends further into chaos, the world teeters on the brink of an Ebola catastrophe.

In the war-torn landscape of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where rebel factions are clashing with government forces, lies a ticking time bomb that has set-off alarm bells. In the confines of a biomedical laboratory in the heart of this chaotic city, deadly pathogens, including the highly contagious Ebola virus, are stored under precarious conditions. With power cuts threatening to compromise the integrity of the facility, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned if the virus escapes, it could lead to an unimaginable outbreak.

The National Institute for Biomedical Research, which houses the dangerous viral samples, is located close to the ICRC’s office, underscoring the proximity of the risk. The ongoing conflict between the Tutsi-led M23 rebels and Rwandan forces has exacerbated an already dire scenario. As soldiers and insurgents wage war, the civilians of Goma find themselves trapped in a nightmarish battle for survival, facing the dual threats of violence and disease.

The history of the DRC has long been one marked by instability. The Eastern Congo region, rich in minerals but plagued by a cycle of conflict, has seen tensions flare since the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left deep scars in the region. The battle for control of mineral resources, exacerbated by ethnic divisions and the involvement of foreign powers, has created a perpetual state of unrest. The M23, a rebel group with roots in Rwanda, has capitalized on this instability, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. The UNHCR reported over half a million displaced individuals in the region just this year, adding to the nearly 700,000 displaced people already in Goma, struggling to find shelter in a city increasingly consumed by chaos.

At the heart of this crisis is the fragile healthcare infrastructure, now under siege. The Red Cross has voiced grave concerns about the safety of the biomedical laboratory, where Ebola virus samples are stored. The threat of power outages, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict, could cause the samples to deteriorate or escape, leading to an uncontrolled outbreak. This is a virus that has already claimed thousands of lives in past outbreaks. The 2014-2015 epidemic, which ravaged West Africa, killed over 11,000 people, and in its most lethal form, the mortality rate can soar to 90 percent without immediate treatment. The possibility of such an outbreak in volatile Goma already a city on the edge of collapse could lead to a disaster of biblical proportions.

The 1995 film ‘Outbreak’ starring Dustin Hoffman portrayed a race against time to contain a fictional virus in a similarly volatile African country that threatened to devastate humanity. Currently, the very real possibility of a biological catastrophe in Goma mirrors such films.

The Red Cross has not only warned about the Ebola virus but has also raised the alarm about the dire conditions facing the civilian population. In the midst of the fighting, hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties. The ICRC’s medical staff, who have treated more than 600 wounded civilians this month alone, report harrowing accounts of women and children caught in the crossfire.

Hospitals like Goma’s CBCA Ndosho are understaffed and struggling to cope with the influx of patients, many of whom are seriously wounded by gunshots or shrapnel. The healthcare system, already fragile, is now on the brink of collapse. One spark, whether it be a rebel attack, a power cut, or a lapse in safety protocols, could trigger a biological disaster of unprecedented scale.

The ICRC’s call for the protection of the biomedical laboratory is not just a plea for the safety of medical samples, but a warning of the potentially catastrophic consequences of inaction. As the world watches, Goma’s situation has become a stark reminder of the precariousness of global health security.