Conciliation Resources has been featured in The Guardian. Our partner Harold Aidoo, Executive Director of the Institute for Research and Democratic Development in Liberia, writes about cross-border areas in West Africa, some of the worst hit by Ebola. In his article, he describes the challenges of uniting communities amidst growing fear, hostility and mistrust.
Ebola in Liberia
In March 2014, a Liberian woman from Lofa visited a relative across the border in Guinea, where she contracted the deadly Ebola virus.
Since then, the virus has been ravaging the country with more than 2400 deaths and over 4000 dead across West Africa. Some of the hardest hit counties include Lofa, Nimba, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Grand Bassa, Montserrado-Monrovia, Bong, Margibi, River Gee, Grand Gedeh and Grand Kru and River Cess.
Border communities grind to a halt
Of these counties, border communities have seen some of the worst cases and the highest death toll due to a poor and often non-existent health system, poor infrastructure, weak governance and very slow response rate.
Nearly all the markets at the borders have been ordered closed for fear that the virus might spread further.
Inadequate goverment response
The government’s overall response to treating sick people and disposing of dead bodies from communities has been very poor due to the lack of ambulances.
Local people fear that they may contract the virus just by someone showing signs and symptoms. People are dying by the day because of government failure to provide basic health materials for health care workers.
Communities torn apart
Over the past two months citizens across the country have become understandably terrified and increasingly desperate over the ravaging spread of the virus. This has led to protests in some communities, the setting up of road blocks on highways, looted clinics and attacked security forces among others.
Peacebuilding undermined
This largely undermines the peace and reconciliation process in Liberia.
Our work depends on community engagement, through focus group meetings, public dialogue and town hall meetings. Communities and their leaders use these processes to interact with one another on issues that affect them.
The Ebola Virus has negatively affected the entire process.
Hope remains
Despite the tensions and violence that has characterised many communities, several communities across the country are forming their own Ebola Task Force, setting up their own call centres and donating their vehicles to pick up dead bodies in the communities.
The District Platforms for Dialogue have been incorporated into the government’s task force, and are currently helping with the reintegration of survivors, who are often marginalised after recovery. They hold community meetings with local leaders to remind people that survivors are cured, and should not be ostracised.