Geneva: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than response efforts, urging greater international support to contain the virus. According to Anadolu Agency, Frantz Celestin, IOM's regional director for East, Horn and Southern Africa, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "The virus is spreading faster than our ability to contain it," during a briefing with reporters in Geneva. As of July 14, more than 2,000 Ebola cases and 700 deaths had been reported across Congo and Uganda, with Congo being the most severely impacted. Celestin highlighted that the outbreak is growing at approximately 70% from two weeks prior, with an average of more than 40 new cases reported daily, underscoring the severity of the situation. Celestin pointed out that about 60% of reported deaths occurred in communities rather than health facilities, highlighting challenges in early detection, surveilla nce, and timely access to care. Insecurity, displacement, and limited humanitarian access are hampering response efforts, leaving the true scale of infections in some communities unknown. Nearly 150,000 internally displaced people are living in 69 IOM-supported sites in eastern Congo, while another 300,000 people in host communities have also been affected. The outbreak's expansion into two new provinces near the capital, Kinshasa, underscores the need to strengthen surveillance at border crossings and along the Congo River. IOM has conducted nearly 7 million health screenings and supports more than 200 points of entry and control. However, Celestin warned that 63% of the agency's $55.8 million regional response appeal remains unfunded. "The risk of spillover is real," he said, noting that Uganda has already reported cases and that infections are now emerging closer to the South Sudan border.