Situation Overview
Cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) continue to be reported in all three countries, with the most concerning rate of infection occurring in Liberia, especially within the capital of Monrovia. Alongside the Ministries of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the humanitarian community continues to scale-up its response to the Ebola outbreak.
In Liberia, the government has lifted its quarantine of West Point, however, governments of the affected countries are continuing to implement measures restricting the movement of people. In Sierra Leone, the government will impose a three day ‘lockdown’ (19-21 September) for the entire population. In Guinea, the government has postponed the opening of schools. The African Union has called for member states to lift travel bans for humanitarian workers and instead implement screening procedures at the borders to allow for a humanitarian corridor. However, no further information on lifted bans is available at this time.
Since the Ebola outbreak began, more than 3,600 people have been suspected to have contracted the Ebola disease. The Ministries of Health (MoH) in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone continue to report new cases and deaths attributable to Ebola Virus Disease, and health officials warn that this number will likely continue to increase. Ebola patients have also been identified in Nigeria, D.R.C, and Senegal.
EVD concerns not only the health of the population affected, but local markets continue to be severely distorted; there are increasing labour shortages, and the prices of food, and other basic commodities have risen dramatically, which has further exacerbated the humanitarian emergency. Market disruptions are expected to have the most impact on market-dependent urban populations.
