Many West African immigrants on the north shore of Staten Island say they’ve been frightened by news and rumors about the Ebola crisis and are relieved that the U.S. is stepping in. NY1′s Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.
Park Hill resident Queenyneho Bestman said she’s been sick with worry since Monday, when the Liberian immigrant says she got a phone call from an aunt back home.
“Her son came from work yesterday morning and go visit her, visit her yesterday morning. So soon as he enter her house, he dropped dead,” Bestman said.
Bestman said her cousin died of Ebola. She said her aunt was supposed to call her back after officials removed the body, but that call never came. That’s left Bestman wondering what’s happened to her aunt, whether she, too, became sick, or if she had to leave her home.
“Where she was taken? Where she was moving? All those things is a problem,” Bestman said.
Bestman isn’t the only Park Hill resident with a story like that. The north shore community is home to thousands of West African immigrants, and many said it’s been hard to get information about what’s really going on.
Amusa Ishola, the owner of the Targee African Grocery, said there are a lot of rumors and a lot of fear.
“Everybody was sending money home for their relative,” Ishola said.
Jack Siaway Dahnkuan said his brother was killed by Ebola back in April, and he fears his father may have it, too. He said he’s been encouraging people to donate goods and money.
“Gloves, you know what I’m talking about, bleach chloride and some food items,” Dahnkuan said.
With no organized relief effort, it’s hard to know who to donate to.
Even for those with families back in Africa who are not personally affected by Ebola, the threat of the disease is very real.
“We still continue to pray that they don’t have it,” said Brimaa Amara, an immigrant from Sierra Leone. “It’s a grave concern.”
They’re expressing relief that the U.S. is stepping up, sending military personnel to help build health care facilities and train health care workers.
“It’s about time America can show us more concern when it comes to this kind of situation,” Dahnkuan said.
“We need help. We need a doctor,” Bestman said.
Residents said they’ll continue to monitor the situation back home and try to do what they can locally to help out.
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