How Markets Alleviated the Impact of Ebola for Vulnerable Families and Children

Soon after the Ebola outbreak was confirmed in Guinea, it quickly spread to the neighbouring countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. The Kailahun district of Sierra Leone, an important trading zone where the three nations converge, was hit especially hard by the crisis. To contain health risks, border closings and travel restrictions ensued between the countries. Schools, banks, markets, among other public gatherings, were quickly closed as well. While these were necessary measures to contain the outbreak, these restrictions also posed a severe challenge for the sustenance of the affected communities.

To make matters even worse, the outbreak coincided with harvest season—a crucial time for production and trade—which sustains the livelihoods of the people in Kailahun. In order to mitigate the potentially detrimental effect of the outbreak on their livelihoods, Save the Children requested US foreign assistance (USAID) to revitalize marketplaces and to ensure that households could meet their minimum needs. This document covers the resulting cash transfer programme.