Share

Liberian security forces seal slum to halt Ebola

Monrovia - Security forces deployed on Wednesday to enforce a quarantine around a slum in the Liberian capital, stepping up the government's fight to stop the spread of Ebola and unnerving residents.

Liberia has the highest death toll of the four West African countries affected by the dreaded disease, and its number of cases is rising the fastest. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ordered the quarantine and imposed a night time curfew on Tuesday, saying that authorities have not been able to curtail the spread of Ebola in the face of defiance of their recommendations.

Ebola is spread through contact with bodily fluids, but relatives have been caring for the sick at home in some cases and burial practices that involve touching the body have continued. There is no cure and no licensed treatment for the disease; health workers can only separate the sick from the healthy.

During the raid this weekend in West Point slum, bloody items were stolen and potential Ebola patients fled, raising fears the disease would spread out of control in a densely populated area.

Potential for unrest 

On Wednesday, armed soldiers and riot police began blocking anyone from entering or leaving the neighbourhood. A resident saw a coast guard boat patrolling waters around the area.

Mistrust of the government runs high in West Point, and, as frustration with government's inability to stop the spread of the disease grows, there is potential for unrest.

One resident, Richard Kieh, told The Associated Press by phone that the community was in "disarray" following the arrival of forces on Wednesday morning.

"Prices of things have been doubled here," he said.

Ebola has killed at least 1 229 of the more than 2 200 people it has sickened in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the outbreak, according to World Health Organizations figures.

The outbreak is currently the most severe in Liberia and Sierra Leone, but the UN health agency said that there were encouraging signs that the tide was beginning to turn in Guinea. There is also hope that Nigeria has managed to contain the disease to only a few cases

Nigeria's health minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said on Tuesday that a fifth person had died of the disease in that country. All of Nigeria's reported cases so far have been people who had direct contact with a Liberian-American man who was already infected when he arrived in the country on an airliner.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 557 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 799 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.88
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE