West African Expats Leaving

In the United States, there were a few weeks in which you couldn’t help but hear the word “Ebola” wherever you went. If you lived in a city, you saw people with masks on the subway. If you live a little further out, you overheard people making plans for escape. It was everywhere–and people were worried.

 But what about expatriates living abroad? More specifically, what about expatriates living in West Africa? The experience, for them, is a bit different.

For expats living across the globe, symptoms of Ebola suddenly seemed to be everywhere. Unfortunately, symptoms of Ebola are also symptoms of food poisoning and flu. While West African expats (and even travelers like Jason Hartman) didn’t worry about Ebola previously, these symptoms have taken on new meaning.

Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea have all been home to Ebola outbreaks and are experiencing an exodus of expatriates as a result. And even leaving isn’t easy, with airline options decreasing and medical infrastructures dwindling and overwhelmed. Embassy families are leaving and staffers for missionary organizations and multinational corporations hit the road long ago. While existing expats have evacuated the area, other expats are entering with the goal of helping with Ebola response. Still, experts estimate that approximately 60 percent of expats have left the area.

Ebola has been devastating for a number of reasons, extending to the local economy. In Sierra Leone, the scenic beaches and delicious seafood draw a lot of tourists–not so in an Ebola infected area. The grocery stores, expensive restaurants, and tourism businesses are seeing significantly less business these days. The American International School of Freetown didn’t even open for the semester because of Ebola–teachers were fired and were forced to seek work in other places, most outside of the area. In order to get out, they’ve had to pay bribes to soldiers (because of the many canceled flights). In short, it hasn’t been easy

And those citizens, expat and not, who remain have witnessed unimaginable devastation. They’ve seen friends and family suffer and die, they’ve questioned, they’ve lived in a near constant state of fear.

It should come as no surprise then that the remaining expatriates are drawing together. While the conversation typically revolves around Ebola, there is solace in groups. Of course, the groups can’t get too big–any public gathering of many people is against the rules because of the close contact between people it threatens to create, an atmosphere where Ebola might be spread.

In situations like this, it is hard to be rational. While Ebola is difficult to contract unless you’ve had interaction with sick patients (and a lot of interaction at that), it is easy to fool yourself and let fear take over. But amidst a crisis, it is relatively easy for expatriates to avoid Ebola–avoid crowds, sick people, unnecessary bodily contact.

Elsewhere, international schools remain open (like the one in Conakry, Guinea), but have experienced a decline in students. Students and teachers are temperature screened and required to participate in vigorous hand washing. It’s leading to fewer colds at least–and hopefully the decline of Ebola.