Japan aid agency pulls staff from Ebola-hit nations

Japan's foreign aid agency said Tuesday it was evacuating two dozen staff from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, as the death toll from the Ebola virus continued to mount. Sierra Leone, as well as Guinea and Liberia, has been at the centre of the outbreak. "We expect they will complete the evacuation from the region within a few days," said Yuho Hayakawa, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Japan's foreign aid body has permanent offices in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which will continue to be managed by local staff, Hayakawa said.