Emergency nurseries rescue DR Congo's Ebola orphans

In Mongbwalu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, emergency nurseries run by UNICEF-supported teams are receiving children orphaned by the Ebola outbreak. With the epidemic still spreading five months in, caregivers say many children have lost both parents to the hemorrhagic fever. The town, in Ituri province near the Uganda border, is considered an epicenter; UNICEF estimates children account for about one-third of deaths and more than one-quarter of infections, with over 2,000 cases reported. Children arrive after parents die in treatment centres or after families are transferred when adults become infected. They remain under observation for 21 days, the incubation period. If relatives are found they may be reunited, but some children can’t be identified due to circumstances such as parents arriving in comas. Workers disinfect toys with chlorine, and children often rely on photos and videos for contact.