Since an Ebola outbreak was declared in Bunia, a bustling city in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, global alarms have gone off. Borders have closed and flights diverted, reaching as far as the United States. The Congolese World Cup team is currently quarantined in Belgium.

However, in Bunia, the core of the crisis, visible signs of an organized response, such as medical tents, medics in full protective gear, and isolated patients, are missing. Instead, aid efforts are just beginning. Workers are setting up tents outside Bunia’s main hospital, hurriedly creating isolation wards for patient triage, isolation, and treatment.

“The virus is far ahead of us,” stated Ahmed Mahat, a manager with International Medical Corps, responsible for building two of the isolation wards. “And it’s spreading fast.”

The global response is lagging. An already challenged international system is working to catch up in Congo. The outbreak, discovered two months after it began, is putting significant pressure on response efforts.

Efforts are concentrated in Ituri, a war-torn province for which Bunia is the capital. At checkpoints, individuals are being screened by having their temperatures taken to control the spread of the virus.