As many countries close their airports to flights from countries with reported Ebola cases and airlines halt routes to those areas, Vietnamese citizens living in those regions have trouble returning.
A woman suspected to have infected with Ebola
Pham Truong Giang, the third secretary of Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco and Guinea, said that currently around 100 Vietnamese people are working and living in Guinea, most in the capital city of Conakry. This is three times the number of Vietnamese people in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are all affected by Ebola.
According to Giang, as of August 18 no Vietnamese citizens in Guinea had been reported to have contracted the disease. However, according to the World Health Organisation said that 396 people in Guinea have died of Ebola,
Currently, many Vietnamese citizens in Guinea continue in their work activities, but some wish to return to Vietnam.
Giang added, however, that it would be difficult for Vietnamese people to return their home from Guinea.
"At present, most countries have carried out measures to fight the spread of Ebola. To date, only Moroccan airlines are conducting flights to and from Guinea", Giang said.
On August 19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) requested Ebola-affected countries to tighten controls at airports to prevent the virus' spread.
Since August 9, Guinea has closed its borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Giang said that the Vietnamese embassy in Guinea has provided hotline for citizens as well as contact information to for support.
Morocco still operates flights to and from both Guinea and Liberia, but with tighter airport controls. The country has not yet reported any cases of the disease up to this point, and the 150 Vietnamese living in the country largely maintain their normal activities.