Cash Relief for Ebola-Affected Families in DRC
You can send funds directly to families impacted by the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On May 5, a new Ebola outbreak was detected in Ituri Province in northeastern DRC. Following 346 suspected and confirmed cases and over 80 deaths, the World Health Organization declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — one step below a pandemic declaration. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain of Ebola.
The outbreak is hitting one of the DRC’s most conflict-affected, economically fragile regions, where most families depend on daily wages to survive.
COVID showed us all the cost of a lockdown: lost work, no income, savings wiped out. Families in DRC may soon face the same challenges with none of the safety nets. Without economic support, quarantine orders become a choice between compliance and survival. Cash changes that.
We’re mobilizing to get cash to families in the hardest-hit areas of DRC.
This emergency cash will help cover things like:
- 💸 Lost wages during quarantine: When a community is quarantined, everyone stops working but expenses don’t cease. In a region built on day labor, weeks without income forces impossible choices, including whether to break quarantine to eat.
- 🏠 Destroyed belongings: Due to Ebola’s infectious nature, families are often required to incinerate everything they own: clothes, cookware, bedding. Cash lets them replace what’s gone.
Your donation reaches families without anyone having to gather in person, which matters in an outbreak.
In an infectious disease outbreak, in-person aid distribution creates its own risks. Cash transfers reach families without requiring gatherings that could accelerate spread. See how it works:
GiveDirectly has been delivering cash in DRC since 2018, sending $13.6M in cash to 67,000+ people across the country, including in Ituri, the province at the center of this outbreak.
Cash complements what first responders do.
Many international organizations like the WHO and MSF are doing critical work containing this outbreak. But their mandate is the medical emergency. The economic impact — 21 days in quarantine with no income, destroyed belongings, waiting outside treatment centers unable to work — falls on families alone. Cash fills that gap.
Cash aid allows survivors to meet their own needs rather than having others guess what they might need, which is why people impacted by a crisis say they prefer cash relief over donated goods.
Our goal will help reach hundreds of families. With more, we can reach thousands.
This response is part of GiveDirectly’s broader effort to get emergency cash to families within five days of any crisis, anywhere in the world — far faster than the weeks or months families typically wait for traditional aid. Your contribution will support families in DRC, and a portion will go to our Emergency Response Fund so we can move just as fast when the next crisis hits, especially in the places the world isn’t watching.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to receive money?
Currently, we’re weighing plans to either broadly target residents of impacted areas in DRC’s Ituri Province or to specifically reach families of confirmed patients directly, which would allow us to get closer to the acute phase of the outbreak. We have several different tools we can use and will fit it to the situation in the most relevant way as the situation evolves. We’ll update this page when targeting is confirmed.
Our current response is focused on DRC. If the outbreak worsens in Uganda or spreads further, we will assess how to expand our reach.
How will you deliver cash in an active outbreak zone?
We’re designing this response to be fully remote, using mobile targeting to reach residents of quarantined areas without requiring in-person enrollment. We’re currently assessing mobile network coverage and cash-out availability in affected areas. Both affect what’s operationally possible. We’ll update here when confirmed.
How quickly can you get cash to families?
Setting up a new mobile delivery system in this context takes approximately two weeks. In past responses we’ve delivered cash 2–3 weeks after a disaster. We expect a similar timeline here, and will update this page as the operational picture firms up.
What if we raise more or less than the fundraising goal?
Any excess funds will allow us to reach more families. If for any reason we are unable to deliver all funds to Ebola-affected families, donations will be delivered to survivors of the next emergency.
How much will each family receive?
We’re still determining transfer amounts, designed to cover the most common costs families face during quarantine and recovery. We’ll update this page with details when confirmed.
When will people receive my donation?
We’re currently identifying communities in greatest need. In past responses, we’ve delivered cash 2–3 weeks after a disaster. We’ll update this page as the timeline is confirmed.
What is GiveDirectly?
We’re a nonprofit that lets you send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. In the last decade, we’ve delivered cash to over 2 million people across 15 countries, and we research the impacts it can have for families in need.
What if I’d like to make a major gift?
We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at info@givedirectly.org.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes, donations are tax-deductible in the United States. We accept all major credit and debit cards, PayPal, checks, wires, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and more.
If you’re giving outside the U.S., you can still give to this campaign, but your gift may not be tax-deductible. Reach out to us at info@givedirectly.org with any questions or for more information on ways to give.