Action Against Hunger

The past four months have been focused on smaller UK charities. We’ve given to two social media addiction charities in the past two months, and before that gave to a legal charity and a hygiene poverty charity. As a result, I felt it was time for something a little more international. Reading about the spread of Ebola in the DRC, I looked beyond MSF and UNICEF to find another charity working locally who could benefit from our funds. That’s how I came across Action Against Hunger (AAH), and specifically their emergency response programme.

While the world's attention is often elsewhere, a dangerous outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain is currently spreading through the eastern provinces of the DRC. Unlike more common strains, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for this variant. Containing it relies entirely on fast isolation, clean water infrastructure, and protecting frontline workers.

Why did we choose them AAH? They’re uniquely positioned for this crisis. They are one of the only international humanitarian organisations with a permanent, active presence inside the Mongbwalu health zone - a high-risk gold mining district at the epicenter of the outbreak.

Because Mongbwalu is a transient hub with thousands of people constantly moving in and out for work, tracing cases and stopping the chain of transmission here is a logistical race against time. AAH was already on the ground when the emergency hit, meaning they didn’t have to waste days mobilising a team from scratch.

Efficiency and Impact:

• Equipping the Frontlines: They are currently supporting 12 frontline health facilities across the hardest-hit zones in Mongbwalu, directly supplying medical staff with protective equipment, chlorine, disinfection sprayers, and critical cleaning materials.

• Rebuilding Vital Water Systems: In the DRC, only 30% of health facilities have a reliable water supply, making basic infection controls like handwashing incredibly difficult. AAH is actively rehabilitating water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure to keep clinics safe.

• Addressing a Dual Crisis: The outbreak is unfolding in a region where 1.5 million people are already facing severe food insecurity due to ongoing conflict. AAH is modifying their existing nutrition and food security programs so they can safely feed vulnerable communities without risking virus transmission.

By supporting Action Against Hunger, we’re helping to fund immediate, life-saving intervention in a crisis area that global aid cuts have left dangerously under-resourced.

If you'd like to learn more about their current operations and the challenges their teams are facing on the ground, you can read their updates directly here.