Ebola Outbreak West Africa: National Response Programme Liberia (October 2014 – September 2015)

STRATEGIC RESPONSE

The most urgent concerns expressed by the women and men interviewed were the imminent threat of virus transmission and the revitalization of their livelihood activities, especially in regards to community savings and loans schemes. Communities have not been sufficiently educated on virus transmission, which prevents them from continuing their livelihood activities. Therefore, there
is an urgent need to develop local capacities within communities to continue to contribute to the prevention of the spread of EVD while avoiding damage to the local economy. It is crucial to develop cash transfer programmes to assist women’s’ associations in reactivating their local group and household activities through savings and loans mechanisms. Conditional cash transfer activities have been proposed within the communities and Ministries of Agriculture and Gender in order to support Ebola awareness campaigns and lowland agricultural production.

This National Response Programme is in line with FAO’s overall response strategy and is part of the Response Programme to the EVD outbreak in West Africa.

FAO is appealing for a total of USD 10 million to assist nearly 25 000 farming households most affected by the outbreak in Liberia.