Thousands of displaced people have fled a refugee camp in eastern Congo following clashes with security forces, disrupting efforts to track and contain a deadly Ebola outbreak.

The Kigonze displacement camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been emptied after security forces entered the site searching for weapons, triggering clashes that caused residents to flee, according to Congolese and health officials.

The camp had become a significant location in the country’s Ebola response. More than 30 people had died there from the virus, while about 1,000 people identified as Ebola contacts were living at the camp.

Health officials said only about one-fifth of those contacts have since been traced, raising concerns that the sudden departure of residents could make it more difficult to monitor potential infections.

The United Nations warned that the development has made efforts to contain the outbreak significantly more difficult.

An Ebola transit center at the camp, where people suspected of having the virus could be isolated, tested and treated, was also burned down, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Julien Harneis, the U.N.’s senior Ebola response official in Congo, said losing the facility means losing treatment capacity and resources that took significant effort to establish.

The destruction of the center also leaves residents with fewer options to receive medical care as authorities attempt to track people who may have been exposed to the virus.

The U.N. has warned that the unplanned departure of thousands of displaced people, combined with restricted access to the camp, could interfere with disease surveillance and contact tracing.

The outbreak is unfolding in Ituri province, where more than 1.1 million people have been displaced by conflict and violence. More than 373,000 of those displaced people are living in formal displacement sites, according to the U.N.

The situation adds another challenge to Congo’s efforts to contain Ebola while large numbers of people remain displaced by ongoing violence.