By Samuel G. Dweh
Rampaging sea tide from the Atlantic Ocean evicted hundreds of residents of quarantined West Point Township from their homes from the early hours of yesterday, August 25.
On Tuesday, August 19, Liberia's President, Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf, gave order for barring of all residents of West Point to other parts of the Country.
The President's order came six days after some residents of the Town evaded a quarantine center in the community and escaped with mattresses, googles, nose-masks and other things in the Ebola quarantine center.
The order has is causing hunger in majority of the Township residents because the government has provided food only once (Thursday, August 21) and majority of outside relatives and friends unable to deliver food, water and money to the trapped persons. The visitation from the government is short (6am-3pm) and the bureaucracy to pass through the five check points is time-consuming. Some have spent days near the first check point, on Mechlin Street, to find a way. Perishable goods have got damaged.
By 7pm of Saturday, August 23, message of halt of food or money delivery came out from the leadership of the joint task force of the Police and Army. This message caused hopelessness in all with something to deliver to a hungry relative or a friend behind the barricades.
"If I didn't deliver the food with me, how will my eleven children and my husband survive today?" cried Madam Mary Seon, who later told the New Republic's reporter beyond the first Check Point that she lives in West Point, but was away in Salala, Bong County, when the quarantine order was issued. "I left West Point Monday to this food and arrived in Monrovia in the afternoon of Thursday."
Madam Ethel Pleh, another resident of West Point, a travel companion of Madam Seon, told the New Republic Saturday she has seven children and a grandchild. "I, too, was away out of Town buying this food for my family," she directed this writer's attention to two full rice bags besides her on the Side Walk.
"My brother, please tell me how the government is doing with this Ebola business in West Point," a lady, who gave Saybah Kamara as her name, and said she lives in West Point identified herself with formation, some people who had brought food or money went back to come another day. But some stay on with a hope the task force's decision would be rescinded later.
The government has not provided food for three days in row (Friday, August 22-Monday, August 26). Representative Saah Joseph of District # 13 and few humanitarian organizations have been filling the hunger gap created by the government's failure to provide food for the quarantined people, but the foods often come late.
The sea kicked down all the homes along the shoreline and created a plain where some of the houses had been before it struck.
"I lost all my six bed-room house to the sea water," Madam Cynthia Wlue, a resident of the Township, explained to journalists at the beachside yesterday, August 24. "I and my children and grandchildren are just sitting with our neighbor, and waiting on God to provide a sleeping place through somebody."
Another resident, Mr. Mohammed Carew, told journalists at the beachside that his four-room apart was destroyed by the erosion. "This thing is coming upon us when we are already going through a heart-breaking situation--quarantine by the government," lamented to some of the journalists observing the sea erosion's damage along the shoreline. rent t
Yesterday's was the second in this year for this annual destructive climate condition to occur. Similar thing happened four months ago.
"From report received by my office, the number of homes destroyed is two hundred and fifty," the Township Commissioner, Madam Miatta Flowers, told journalists at the Township yesterday.
Madam Flowers, however, told the Press people she didn't know the actual number of persons in each of the homes.
Representatives of the World Food Program and the Liberian National Red Cross donated food ration to residents of the Township yesterday.
Later in the day, President Ellen Sirleaf visited the Township to acquaint herself with unfolding events. http://allafrica.com/stories/201408261589.html
Rampaging sea tide from the Atlantic Ocean evicted hundreds of residents of quarantined West Point Township from their homes from the early hours of yesterday, August 25.
On Tuesday, August 19, Liberia's President, Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf, gave order for barring of all residents of West Point to other parts of the Country.
The President's order came six days after some residents of the Town evaded a quarantine center in the community and escaped with mattresses, googles, nose-masks and other things in the Ebola quarantine center.
The order has is causing hunger in majority of the Township residents because the government has provided food only once (Thursday, August 21) and majority of outside relatives and friends unable to deliver food, water and money to the trapped persons. The visitation from the government is short (6am-3pm) and the bureaucracy to pass through the five check points is time-consuming. Some have spent days near the first check point, on Mechlin Street, to find a way. Perishable goods have got damaged.
By 7pm of Saturday, August 23, message of halt of food or money delivery came out from the leadership of the joint task force of the Police and Army. This message caused hopelessness in all with something to deliver to a hungry relative or a friend behind the barricades.
"If I didn't deliver the food with me, how will my eleven children and my husband survive today?" cried Madam Mary Seon, who later told the New Republic's reporter beyond the first Check Point that she lives in West Point, but was away in Salala, Bong County, when the quarantine order was issued. "I left West Point Monday to this food and arrived in Monrovia in the afternoon of Thursday."
Madam Ethel Pleh, another resident of West Point, a travel companion of Madam Seon, told the New Republic Saturday she has seven children and a grandchild. "I, too, was away out of Town buying this food for my family," she directed this writer's attention to two full rice bags besides her on the Side Walk.
"My brother, please tell me how the government is doing with this Ebola business in West Point," a lady, who gave Saybah Kamara as her name, and said she lives in West Point identified herself with formation, some people who had brought food or money went back to come another day. But some stay on with a hope the task force's decision would be rescinded later.
The government has not provided food for three days in row (Friday, August 22-Monday, August 26). Representative Saah Joseph of District # 13 and few humanitarian organizations have been filling the hunger gap created by the government's failure to provide food for the quarantined people, but the foods often come late.
The sea kicked down all the homes along the shoreline and created a plain where some of the houses had been before it struck.
"I lost all my six bed-room house to the sea water," Madam Cynthia Wlue, a resident of the Township, explained to journalists at the beachside yesterday, August 24. "I and my children and grandchildren are just sitting with our neighbor, and waiting on God to provide a sleeping place through somebody."
Another resident, Mr. Mohammed Carew, told journalists at the beachside that his four-room apart was destroyed by the erosion. "This thing is coming upon us when we are already going through a heart-breaking situation--quarantine by the government," lamented to some of the journalists observing the sea erosion's damage along the shoreline. rent t
Yesterday's was the second in this year for this annual destructive climate condition to occur. Similar thing happened four months ago.
"From report received by my office, the number of homes destroyed is two hundred and fifty," the Township Commissioner, Madam Miatta Flowers, told journalists at the Township yesterday.
Madam Flowers, however, told the Press people she didn't know the actual number of persons in each of the homes.
Representatives of the World Food Program and the Liberian National Red Cross donated food ration to residents of the Township yesterday.
Later in the day, President Ellen Sirleaf visited the Township to acquaint herself with unfolding events. http://allafrica.com/stories/201408261589.html
