Convoy of Hope institutes 9-month Ebola response plan

Crisis response agency Convoy of Hope has instituted a nine-month disaster plan in response to the Ebola crisis in Africa.

The Springfield-based nonprofit plans to ship and distribute over 400 tons of food and supplies to West Africa. Convoy indicated it already has shipped two containers of food and supplies to Liberia, according to a news release.

“It will take a united effort - everyone doing what they can - to prevent more deaths and the spread of this disease,” Convoy President Hal Donaldson said in the release.

First on Convoy's list is to get food to children and families in the epicenter of the Ebola crisis. Without a swift response, Convoy's team on the ground believes hundreds of thousands of people will die in the coming months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that by the end of January, the virus could infect 1.5 million people.

The virus also has been a concern in the U.S., where the first case of Ebola was diagnosed in the country late last month. The man died more than a week later. A Dallas nurse who had treated the patient also became the first person to contract Ebola within the U.S.

Additionally, Convoy plans to send cleaning supplies, disinfectants and first aid kits.

Assemblies of God World Missions also has partnered with Convoy to help cover the cost of sending supplies to the region, according to a separate release.