Home / Health / US Ebola Quarantine Camp in Kenya Sparks Outrage
US Ebola Quarantine Camp in Kenya Sparks Outrage
18 Jul
Summary
- Seven US aid workers are quarantined at a controversial US-backed Ebola facility in Kenya.
- The facility faces strong opposition from Kenyan critics concerned about shifting health risks.
- Despite court orders, the quarantine camp was completed and now houses its first occupants.
Seven American aid workers affiliated with Samaritan's Purse are being held in quarantine at a controversial U.S.-backed Ebola isolation facility located in Kenya. These workers are part of a larger disaster response team deployed to address the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of the current date, none of the quarantined employees have exhibited symptoms.
The facility, situated at the Laikipia Air Base, was established to house Americans exposed to Ebola in the DRC or Uganda for the standard 21-day monitoring period before their return to the U.S. The project has encountered significant opposition within Kenya, with critics and civil society groups raising concerns about the transfer of potential health risks and the lack of public consultation.
Despite prior Kenyan High Court orders to halt construction and a minister being found in contempt, the facility was ultimately completed. The seven Samaritan's Purse workers are believed to be its initial occupants. The World Health Organization has cautioned that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC is spreading rapidly, with thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths reported.
