News outlets report on the Liberian president’s pleas for the U.S. to assist the nation in containing the Ebola outbreak, as patients are turned away at health care facilities.

The Hill: Liberian president appeals directly to Obama for Ebola help
“Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has appealed directly to President Obama for help in combating the Ebola epidemic in her country…” (Shabad, 9/13).

New York Times: Liberian President Pleads With Obama for Assistance in Combating Ebola
“…In a letter on Tuesday to Mr. Obama, Ms. Johnson Sirleaf wrote that ‘I am being honest with you when I say that at this rate, we will never break the transmission chain and the virus will overwhelm us.’ She urgently requested 1,500 additional beds in new hospitals across the country and urged that the United States military set up and run a 100-bed Ebola hospital in the besieged capital, Monrovia…” (Cooper, 9/12).

Reuters: Liberia president sacks 10 officials told to return to fight Ebola
“Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sacked 10 senior officials because they failed to heed a warning to return from overseas travel to help the government’s fight against an Ebola epidemic that has killed at least 1,100 Liberians…” (Giahyue, 9/14).

Washington Post: As Ebola cases accelerate, Liberia’s sick must fend for themselves
“…With each day, the small group of caregivers trying to cope with the worst outbreak of Ebola on record falls further and further behind as the pace of the virus’s transmission rapidly accelerates. Health facilities are full, and an increasing number of infected people are being turned away, left to fend for themselves…” (Bernstein, 9/13).

Washington Post: In Ebola-ravaged Liberia, churches serve as a last gathering place
“…Formal gatherings of any kind are discouraged in Liberia these days, because the lethal Ebola virus is spread by contact with other people’s body fluids, including sweat and saliva. … But people in their best clothes could be seen everywhere in Monrovia on Sunday, heading to one place where they might find some solace together. Religion plays a major part in Liberian life…” (Bernstein, 9/14).