World Tour: Ebola in Congo, and monsoon rains batter South Asia

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour with Africa correspondent Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Ebola in Congo—We start today here in Africa.

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed the first case of Ebola in a major city.

AUDIO: [Sound of announcement and hand washing]

Officials are urging people to wash their hands frequently and watch for signs of illness.

About 2 million people live in the city of Goma. It is a regional travel and trade hub. That has officials worried an Ebola outbreak could quickly spread.

Doctor Mike Ryan direct’s the World Health Organization’s Ebola response team.

RYAN: Goma is a warning, and that warning may result in more cases. We hope it doesn’t.

Officials have not named the Ebola patient. But they say he is a pastor who traveled to one of the regional towns the current outbreak has hit the hardest. Health workers have vaccinated 60 people the pastor may have come in contact with during his trip back to Goma.

Nearly 1,700 people have died so far in the outbreak that began almost one year ago.

Jihadist violence in Burkina Faso—Next we go to the West African country of Burkina Faso.

Jihadist violence there has created a rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis. And Christians are most often the target of attacks. The violence has forced 1-hundred-70-thousand people to flee their homes.

During a special UN conference last week, African leaders called for an international effort to fight terror on the continent. 

AUDIO: As a continent, we must speak boldly and with one voice, declaring to the enemies of freedom that we shall not relent, and at the end of the day, we shall and must prevail.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking there.

The latest high-profile terror attack targeted a hotel in Somalia over the weekend. At least 26 people died during the 14-hour siege. Jihadist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. Regional politicians were meeting at the hotel to discuss upcoming elections when the attack began.

Countries like Somalia and Kenya have suffered terror attacks on high-profile targets in big cities. But many countries in West and Central Africa are struggling with jihadist violence targeting smaller communities.

Monsoon rains batter South Asia—Next we go to South Asia.

AUDIO: [Sound of rushing flood water]

Monsoon rains have inundated parts of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Flooding and mudslides have washed away homes, businesses, and herds of livestock.

At least 78 people have died in Nepal, and 32 others remain missing.

In India’s financial capital, Mumbai, residents formed a human chain to remove rubble from a collapsed building.

AUDIO: [Sounds of shouting and horns honking]

At least three people died and dozens of others remained trapped under the debris. It was the second building collapse in a week. Monsoon rains last through September.

Spiritual revival in Sri Lanka—And finally, we end today with good news from Sri Lanka.

AUDIO: [Sounds of singing]

Parishioners recently rededicated the Catholic church where 54 died during an Easter Sunday terror attack. The coordinated bombing at several sites killed 258 people.

After the attack, leaders from both Catholic and evangelical churches urged Christians to forgive their enemies. Now they say that radical response has sparked a spiritual revival in the country. Pastors report more openness to the gospel and a willingness among nonbelievers to accept invitations to church.

That’s this week’s World Tour. For WORLD Radio, I’m Onize Ohikere reporting from Abuja, Nigeria.

(AP Photo/Jerome Delay) In this photograph taken Saturday July 13, 2019, health workers wearing protective suits take their shift at a treatment center in Beni, Congo DRC. 

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