Embassies Warn of Ebola Risk in South Sudan

Africa: South Sudan

Six Western and Asian embassies say South Sudan faces a high risk of Ebola, while Juba says no case has been confirmed. The embassies’ call centres on pay for health workers and access for aid groups.

The embassies of Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States said in a joint statement reported on Thursday 12 November 2026 that they “reaffirm their concern about the high risks of an Ebola outbreak in South Sudan”. They did not claim that a case had been confirmed.

For US readers, the warning matters because South Sudan is one of three countries covered by a US Ebola entry ban tied to the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Congo. It comes 39 days before a general election planned for Tuesday 22 December 2026.

What the Embassies Asked For

The six missions urged South Sudan’s leaders to use public revenue to pay for health care, including the salaries of public health workers. They also asked the government to give aid organisations full access across the country.

The call repeats a July 2026 joint statement by seven embassies, Canada among them, which asked for “prompt and regular payment of salaries for public health workers” involved in Ebola monitoring, detection and response. Canada is not named in the November statement.

How Juba Answered

South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday that no Ebola case has been confirmed in the country. It asked diplomatic missions to raise concerns through established diplomatic channels.

“Public statements on public health matters should be guided by verified information and avoid raising undue alarm or creating unnecessary fear among the public,” the ministry said. It also thanked international partners for helping to strengthen preparedness.

Why the Risk Is Taken Seriously

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the EU’s disease agency, counted 11,114 confirmed Ebola cases and 5,433 related deaths in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo as of 11 November 2026, with community transmission still under way. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one species of Ebola virus.

The ECDC says South Sudan keeps temperature screening and health declaration forms at Juba International Airport and key entry points. South Sudan shares a border with Congo, and our report on Congo’s Ebola toll tracks the outbreak.

What Prediction Markets Say

On Polymarket, a platform where users bet real money, the market “Which countries will have an Ebola case in 2026?” priced South Sudan at 22.0% on 13 November 2026 at 03:52 ET (08:52 UTC), with US$81,872 traded across all countries in the market, about US$7,300 of it on South Sudan. A price is a bet, not a forecast, and in a market this size a single trader can move it.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What It Means for US Readers

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) renewed its Ebola entry ban for another 30 days from 10 November 2026, according to a summary by the law firm Fragomen. The order covers foreign nationals who were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, and US citizens back from South Sudan or Uganda must enter through designated airports.

Our guide to Ebola entry rules for South Sudan travellers explains the screening, and our report on the UN envoy’s warning on South Sudan covers the wider political risk. Watch for the CDC order’s expiry or renewal on about 10 December 2026.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether a case will be found in South Sudan. The ministry’s statement is quoted here from a news report of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Ebola been confirmed in South Sudan?

No. South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday 12 November 2026 that no case has been confirmed, and the embassies did not claim one.

Which embassies issued the warning?

The embassies of Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. They said they “reaffirm their concern about the high risks of an Ebola outbreak in South Sudan”.

Can Americans travel to South Sudan?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bars foreign nationals who were in South Sudan, Uganda or Congo in the past 21 days. US citizens back from South Sudan or Uganda must enter through designated airports for screening.

Sources: statement of the South Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 12 November 2026, as quoted in press reports; joint statement of the embassies of Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, 12 November 2026; ECDC Ebola epidemiological update, 12 November 2026; US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entry order, 10 November 2026; Polymarket market page, read 13 November 2026 (03:40 ET).

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