Liberia was bracing Thursday for food and petrol shortages, after neighbouring Ivory Coast blocked access of ships from all four West African countries affected by the deadly Ebola outbreak.
Ivory Coast port authorities prohibited all vessels from Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria from passing through the country’s port in Abidjan, according to Liberian newspaper Front Page Africa.
Liberia will be especially hard hit by the ban, because Ivory Coast is a key transit point to Liberia, including for aid transport.
Air France, Asky and Arik airlines have already suspended flights, while Delta and British Airways also announced they will terminate their services.
There were 1,975 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola and 1,069 deaths as of August 13, according to the World Health Organization.
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, which share a border, have been the hardest-hit countries.
Ebola is transmitted through blood and other body fluids and has a very high death rate.
GNA
PDC
