Ebola crisis: life in quarantine

(Vatican Radio) Aid agencies are saying that thousands of people in Sierra Leone are being forced to violate Ebola quarantines to find food because deliveries are not reaching them. Large areas of the West African country have been sealed off to prevent the spread of Ebola, and within those areas many people have been ordered to stay in their homes.

This week in the Vatican, a press conference was held to brief journalists on the work Caritas Internationalis is doing to respond to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

One of those present was Fr Aristelo Miranda, a Camillian Father who has returned from a visit to Sierra Leone.

Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Fr Aristelo Miranda

He spoke to Vatican Radio about what life is like for those in quarantine. “I’ve seen people they’re just sitting in front of the house, just looking at people who are looking at them also. Practically, they don’t do nothing at all, They cannot work, they can do some household chores inside … but all throughout the day they are just there inside…” he said.

He added that food and other supplies is not all they have need of. “A lot of things can be done in terms of consoling them, listening to them, they have a lot of feelings, experiences to tell to you and I think communication is very very important in this aspect.”

Around 5,000 people have been killed during the current Ebola outbreakwith most of the deaths in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.