Reuniting children affected by Ebola

In November 2014, Liberia remained one of three countries in West Africa experiencing widespread and intense transmission of Ebola virus disease (EVD). UNICEF continued to support social mobilization efforts to raise awareness of the disease, its symptoms, and how to prevent its spread—all of which were critical to curtailing the unprecedented outbreak. UNICEF remained at the forefront of efforts to respond to and help curtail the outbreak, including by providing training for Ebola survivors working in interim care centres. Since the beginning of the outbreak, UNICEF had brought in 967 metric tons of emergency aid, including essential protective gear, tents, diarrhoeal kits, emergency health kits, and sanitation supplies such as chlorine. UNICEF was also procuring water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies, supporting chlorine mixing stations at new Ebola treatment units in Monrovia, the capital, and distributing hygiene kits for households as part of efforts to promote hand-washing as a key behaviour for preventing EVD transmission. By 12 November, 1,501 children (706 boys and 795 girls) in the ten most affected counties—including in EVD treatment units and interim care centres—had benefited from psychosocial support, family tracing, reunification, reintegration, and case management.

(Centre) Caretaker Helen hugs young children goodbye as they await being driven to foster homes or the homes of extended family members, at an interim care centre for children exposed to EVD, in Monrovia, the capital. Helen survived EVD but lost eight people in her family to the illness; she has a 3-year-old daughter who, fortunately, was not infected. Standing immediately to Helen’s right is Mercy 9, whose mother died from the disease and whose father passed away long before the EVD outbreak.

(Foreground) Mercy’s 17-year-old brother, Harris, watches as workers load the contents of reunification kits into a vehicle at an interim care centre for children exposed to EVD, in Monrovia. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare set up the centre, where children who were in direct contact with patients suffering from EVD are accommodated during 21 days of isolation, the virus’s maximum incubation period.

Mercy waves farewell to children who will remain at an interim care centre for children exposed to EVD. Behind her, a worker loads a vehicle with the contents of reunification kits. Mercy and her brother, Harris, are about to be taken to the home of Martu, a family friend who has agreed to foster them.

Mercy waves farewell to children at the interim care centre for children exposed to EVD. At the centre, the children are cared for by workers trained to monitor the children closely for signs of EVD. There they are cared for by workers trained to monitor the children closely for signs of EVD. UNICEF has helped train the centre’s workers – who are themselves EVD survivors and, therefore, have a level of immunity or resistance to the virus.

Harris is hugged by members of his extended family and community, in a suburb of Monrovia. Behind him, at right, Martu embraces his sister, Mercy. The children have just left an interim care centre for children exposed to EVD.

Martu cries tears of joy as she embraces Harris. Martu, a family friend who lives very close to the home Mercy and Harris shared with their mother, has agreed to foster them. Active tracing of children’s extended family is undertaken, with the ultimate goal of reuniting them with relatives immediately after the conclusion of the quarantine period.

Johnny embraces his sister, Mercy.

Martu wipes away tears of joy as Harris reaches out to her in front of her home in Monrovia.

Martu embraces 17 year old Harris.

Harris is greeted and welcomed by extended family members outside Martu’s home on arrival.

Johnny leads his sister, Mercy, to the nearby home she used to share with her mother, before the EVD outbreak.

Community members who live near the home Mercy used to share with her mother, warmly embrace her on her return to the community.

Harris, holding the hand of a young boy from the neighbourhood, walks to the home he used to share with his mother. Next to them, his sister Mercy holds the hand of her older brother Johnny, who has just accompanied her to the home.