The family of an American hostage of ISIS in West Africa is facing a new worry after suffering through years of his captivity: the risk of a coronavirus infection and fears that his captors in the Sahara Desert may not be able to protect him in a vast, austere region where running water is rare, his
Jeffery Ray Woodke, 59, a Christian humanitarian worker in Niger since 1991, was kidnapped in the country's northern desert in October 2016 by militants aligned with the Islamic State terrorist group. Officials said they believe he likely is held by ISIS in neighboring Mali, where French Armed Forces operate.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is now in North Africa's Sahel region. At least 58 deaths have been confirmed from the coronavirus between Mali and Niger as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University, but the numbers are likely much higher because of a lack of testing capability in a large and lawless land mass out of reach to health workers.
One former senior U.S. official said the coronavirus adds a new threat to any American held hostage overseas -- but it's also a"window of opportunity" for captor networks to show mercy, lest a hostage die of the disease in their care. Story continues"One message I want to make sure and repeat today: If you are wrongly detaining Americans during this time, and they become infected and die of coronavirus, we will hold your government strictly responsible," he said."All wrongfully detained Americans should be released immediately.
Woodke's recovery has been a priority for American military and intelligence assets in Africa since 2016. The reasons for his abduction are unclear because the family says it has received no demands from the captor network.
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