Liberia’s government is struggling to secure food supplies as
quarantines and border closures aimed at containing the Ebola outbreak
disrupt its farmers and pile pressure on food imports.
The agricultural sector has been hardest hit by the Ebola crisis, which has crippled domestic food production, said Axel Addy, Liberia’s minister of commerce and industry.
Measures to stem the spread of Ebola have increased Liberia’s reliance on food imports, which last year comprised about 80% of all foodstuffs, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Liberia has brought in food provisions that are expected to last until December, said Addy, but concerns over diminishing food production in the country are mounting.
Addy said: “Liberia’s staple [food] is rice, and so prior to coming [to Europe] I spent several weeks negotiating with importers to get an adequate supply of rice into the country. As I left [Liberia] we were actually offloading one vessel and another vessel was ready to offload.”
He added: “We will get our rice supply that will take us to November and we have several lined vessels up that will take us through January. On that side we have been able to manage [Ebola’s effect on food supplies], although at a higher cost.”
Earlier this month the WFP warned that “disruptions in cross-border trade and marketing activities have resulted in sharp price rises, affecting the food security situation of large numbers of people”.
The country’s food security has taken a backseat to measures aimed at containing Ebola, which often require entire villages and communities to be cut off, said WFP spokeswoman Frances Kennedy.
Before the Ebola outbreak, Liberia’s food insecurity was deemed “unacceptably high” with 1.2 million people, or 41% of the population, unable to lead a healthy and active lifestyle due to malnutrition, according to a report by Liberia’s ministry of agriculture, the WFP and Unicef.
Liberians are scrambling to secure food supplies before quarantines are enforced, according to Kennedy, who returned from the country on 11 September. “Food was a great concern, people were very concerned about how they were going to be able to provide for themselves and their families going forward.”
Liberia’s economy has come to a “grinding halt” after Ebola fears led miners to suspend operations and businesses to close their doors. It has slashed its projected growth rate for the mining sector from 4% this year to 2.5% in 2015, Addy said.
The cancellation of international flights to Liberia have hurt the country’s economy. “We are being penalised by the stigma of Ebola,” Addy said, bemoaning that only two cross-border flights are still operating.
Addy is optimistic that Liberia will be able to secure more food imports, but was worried about Ebola’s impact on the country’s ability to produce food. “Lofa – the county second hardest hit by the epidemic – is our breadbasket and a major source of our food,” he said.
The WFP said it would distribute foodstuffs to 405,000 people in each of Liberia’s counties. More than 690 metric tonnes have been distributed so far, while 500 metric tonnes have been held in reserve, the agency said.
Liberia needs about 36,000 tonnes of rice to feed its population for one month, according to the WFP.
Food distributions efforts are targeting Monrovia’s West Point slum and Dolo’s Town, as well the northern Lofa county, Kennedy said.
But the WFP said its ability to feed people trapped in quarantined areas is being hampered by a funding shortfall. Donors have met only 14% of the $126.9m the agency asked for to fund emergency relief programmes.
Kennedy said: “This slow response has meant that WFP has had to borrow internal funds to provide urgent logistical support to humanitarian partners. WFP needs funds to meet urgent immediate food needs among quarantined communities and Ebola affected communities. The situation is very fluid in terms of people affected.”
The agricultural sector has been hardest hit by the Ebola crisis, which has crippled domestic food production, said Axel Addy, Liberia’s minister of commerce and industry.
Measures to stem the spread of Ebola have increased Liberia’s reliance on food imports, which last year comprised about 80% of all foodstuffs, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Liberia has brought in food provisions that are expected to last until December, said Addy, but concerns over diminishing food production in the country are mounting.
Addy said: “Liberia’s staple [food] is rice, and so prior to coming [to Europe] I spent several weeks negotiating with importers to get an adequate supply of rice into the country. As I left [Liberia] we were actually offloading one vessel and another vessel was ready to offload.”
He added: “We will get our rice supply that will take us to November and we have several lined vessels up that will take us through January. On that side we have been able to manage [Ebola’s effect on food supplies], although at a higher cost.”
Earlier this month the WFP warned that “disruptions in cross-border trade and marketing activities have resulted in sharp price rises, affecting the food security situation of large numbers of people”.
The country’s food security has taken a backseat to measures aimed at containing Ebola, which often require entire villages and communities to be cut off, said WFP spokeswoman Frances Kennedy.
Before the Ebola outbreak, Liberia’s food insecurity was deemed “unacceptably high” with 1.2 million people, or 41% of the population, unable to lead a healthy and active lifestyle due to malnutrition, according to a report by Liberia’s ministry of agriculture, the WFP and Unicef.
Liberians are scrambling to secure food supplies before quarantines are enforced, according to Kennedy, who returned from the country on 11 September. “Food was a great concern, people were very concerned about how they were going to be able to provide for themselves and their families going forward.”
Liberia’s economy has come to a “grinding halt” after Ebola fears led miners to suspend operations and businesses to close their doors. It has slashed its projected growth rate for the mining sector from 4% this year to 2.5% in 2015, Addy said.
The cancellation of international flights to Liberia have hurt the country’s economy. “We are being penalised by the stigma of Ebola,” Addy said, bemoaning that only two cross-border flights are still operating.
Addy is optimistic that Liberia will be able to secure more food imports, but was worried about Ebola’s impact on the country’s ability to produce food. “Lofa – the county second hardest hit by the epidemic – is our breadbasket and a major source of our food,” he said.
The WFP said it would distribute foodstuffs to 405,000 people in each of Liberia’s counties. More than 690 metric tonnes have been distributed so far, while 500 metric tonnes have been held in reserve, the agency said.
Liberia needs about 36,000 tonnes of rice to feed its population for one month, according to the WFP.
Food distributions efforts are targeting Monrovia’s West Point slum and Dolo’s Town, as well the northern Lofa county, Kennedy said.
But the WFP said its ability to feed people trapped in quarantined areas is being hampered by a funding shortfall. Donors have met only 14% of the $126.9m the agency asked for to fund emergency relief programmes.
Kennedy said: “This slow response has meant that WFP has had to borrow internal funds to provide urgent logistical support to humanitarian partners. WFP needs funds to meet urgent immediate food needs among quarantined communities and Ebola affected communities. The situation is very fluid in terms of people affected.”
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