'Ebola in Latin America could cause mass migration to US'

Washington, Oct 8 (IANS/EFE) The head of the US Southern Command, General John Kelly, has said that if Ebola reaches Latin America, especially Central America or countries like Haiti, it could lead to mass migration to the US.

"If it comes to the Western Hemisphere, the countries that we are talking about have almost no ability to deal with it, especially Haiti and Central America," he said at a conference in the National Defense University in Washington Tuesday.

Kelly added that the outbreak could lead to people migrating, using the routes used by drug traffickers who also illegally transport people.

The same routes have been reportedly used by people from West Africa to get into the US.

He also said that his command was being constantly updated on the measures taken by the US African Command (AFRICOM) and that the US armed forces were prepared to respond to any crisis in the Western Hemisphere.

"We're watching what AFRICOM is doing and their plan will be our plan," Kelly said.

The US has approved the sending of 4,000 troops to West Africa to help countries hit by Ebola which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), has already affected over 7,400 people and killed more than 3,400.

The Southern Command is responsible for providing military contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, and the Caribbean region.

--IANS/EFE

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