Ebola outbreak: 'Thousands of orphans shunned'

[theHandpuppet]

I have to admit that the shunning of the orphaned is an aspect of this outbreak I hadn't even considered.

BBC News - Africa
30 September 2014
Ebola outbreak: 'Thousands of orphans shunned'

At least 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone who have lost one or both parents to Ebola this year face being shunned, the UN has said.

Carers were urgently needed for these orphans, Unicef said.

A basic human reaction like comforting a sick child has been turned "into a potential death sentence", it added...

...The figure on the number of Ebola orphans follows a two-week assessment mission by the UN children's agency to the three countries worst-affected by the outbreak. An earlier version of this story said that 4,900 children had lost parents but the correct figure is 3,700....

MORE at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29424919

[Mnemosyne]

1. K&R, because it matters. nt

[jwirr]

2. The first hurdle is that many are going to be afraid to take them for fear of ebola. Then if they

are looking for local families they will need to find someone who can afford another child. It is too bad they cannot set up orphanages. They are not the best answer but better than living in the streets. Maybe it would work - I would be afraid of so many people in one home. If Ebola came it they would probably all die of it because of the proximity.

Surely there is some way to help these children.

[suffragette]

3. First to lose your parents, then to be shunned and have no one to turn to for comfort

My heart goes out to them.