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Liberian man stranded in Richmond by Ebola outbreak

Posted at 2:55 PM, Oct 23, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-23 14:59:08-04

Richmond, Va. – When Rev. Emile Sam-Peal traveled to Richmond for a conference in July, he never imagined he would still be there at the end of October.

“We were planning to go back the last week of August.”

He lives in Liberia, where the Ebola outbreak is ravaging the country.

“When we got to the states, unfortunately the Ebola crisis got out of hand and blew up and airlines started suspending flights to Liberia,” he said told WTVR.

British Airways suspended his flight and could not put him and his wife on a different airline. He now has to wait three to five months for a refund.

“Right now we have a reservation returning the end of November,” said Sam-Peal, “We’re hoping by then we would have gotten our refund.”

However, the reverend said the Ebola outbreak is not just about canceled travel plans. He is a principal at a school in Liberia and said it has become an economic issue.

“Folks have lost their jobs, schools through the country are closed, folks have become hungry,” he said.