Protestant Church in Saarland Supports Fight Against Ebola in Congo

Connection with the partners

Saarbrücken. With collections and donations totaling over 10,000 euros, the Protestant Church District An der and its congregations support the people in the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo in their fight against the Ebola outbreak. For 40 years, the Protestant Church saarland.de has maintained a partnership in Saarland with the Baptist Church District Goma in North Kivu, a region of the DR Congo that was among the hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic on July 11, 2026.

On the Pentecost weekend, the Protestant congregations in Saarland redirected their collections in favor of an Ebola relief project by Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and additionally collected donations in recent weeks. So far, 5,523 euros have been raised this way; the church district has contributed an additional 5,000 euros from its own funds. In total, 10,523 euros have been passed on via Diakonie to local partner organizations in the provinces of North and South Kivu.

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe provides materials to protect healthcare personnel from infection when treating patients. This includes packages with special protective clothing and disinfectants. In addition, various preventive measures are prioritized in the work of partner organizations to prevent further spread of the epidemic, such as the establishment of hygiene stations and a safe water supply, as well as extensive public awareness campaigns about individual protection measures. At the same time, the partners strengthen psychosocial support. They talk with people about the fear of infection or provide help after the loss of relatives.

Additional donations for the church aid project can be made at any time directly to Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe: IBAN: DE68 5206 0410 0000 5025 02, purpose: Emergency aid DR Congo.

Info:
Since May 2026, there has been a new Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo, which the World Health Organization WHO has classified as a public health emergency of international concern. According to local authorities, over 1,700 people have fallen ill and 600 have died (as of 10.07.2026). The situation is worsening further, as there is still no suitable vaccine and the healthcare system in Congo is overwhelmed. According to the African health authority, the number of new infections increased sharply by 25 percent in the past week.