Thousands in West Africa violating Ebola quarantine in search of food

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The Disasters Emergency Committee, a U.K. umbrella aid organization, warned Tuesday that "thousands of people in Ebola-affected countries in West Africa are being forced to break quarantine in order to get food to eat."

Focusing primarily on the situation in Sierra Leone, DEC reports that government attempts to distribute food to quarantined people are falling short.

Jeanne Kamara, Christian Aid director in Sierra Leone, told DEC, "This is a huge problem... People infected with Ebola are desperately searching for food and are in turn exposing others to the disease. They are jostling with people in the market and infecting others through bodily contact. We urgently have to provide food to those who need it to prevent the risk of further spread."

DEC appealed for food for people in quarantine.

The World Food Program is one of the international aid organizations working with West African governments to distribute food to quarantined areas. "Distributions are planned with the government and local partners," WFP notes on its website. "We are permanently discussing with the authorities to ensure that distributions can happen safely."