Aid Rushes to Congo as Ebola Outbreak Spreads and Spills Into Uganda

International agencies are moving to contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations children's agency, the World Health Organization, and the European Union are airlifting more than 100 metric tons of emergency supplies into the country, where the virus has already infected more than 120 people.

The outbreak is crossing borders. Across the border, Uganda has confirmed two new cases, and Red Cross workers said community outreach is essential to stopping transmission. The response has also generated friction. A court in Kenya temporarily halted the opening of a quarantine center intended for United States nationals, after a rights group challenged the plan.

A contagious outbreak in a region central to global supplies of cobalt and other minerals used in batteries and electronics is the kind of low-probability, high-impact risk that can disrupt supply chains far beyond the affected area if containment fails.