Economic impact of the Ebola crisis on select Liberian markets

Though the main focus of the Ebola virus disease crisis in Liberia has been around prevention, treatment and public health, the economic impact of Ebola is quickly demonstrating that it also merits close attention. Households have less access to basic goods on the market because of reduced incomes resulting in a change in eating habits; supply of goods is constrained due to border and market closures, as well as transportation problems; and challenges in the agricultural sector may affect farmers’ ability to have a normal harvest in the upcoming planting seasons. Some of these issues may have immediate remedies, while others will require medium to long-term interventions.

To better understand the economic impact of the Ebola crisis on households and markets in Liberia, Mercy Corps conducted an assessment in Lofa and Nimba counties and parts of Monrovia from 3-13 Oct 2014. Lofa and Monrovia were chosen due to the high number of Ebola cases in these areas and Nimba was chosen due to a rising number of cases in the period preceding the assessment. The team conducted 122 household surveys, 122 vendor surveys, 20 focus group discussions and 65 key informant interviews. The beginning of August 2014 was used as the crisis onset when asking respondents
“before and since the crisis” questions. This was when the Government of Liberia (GoL) declared a state of emergency and implemented more strict protocols for combating the spread of Ebola.