( CNN ) -- When an epidemic occurs , getting even the most basic necessities to those in need becomes an exercise in logistics . The countries hit hardest by the Ebola epidemic -- Guinea , Liberia and Sierra Leone -- are dealing with human suffering on an unimaginable level . We have heard the stories of quarantines , medical supply shortages and dealing with the removal of the deceased . But what about the basics ? How are people in affected areas that have been isolated from the world getting necessities such as food ? The United Nations World Food Programme is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger in the world today , and it is dealing with that very issue . The objective is to `` prevent a health crisis from becoming a food crisis , '' according to the agency . Woman saves three relatives from Ebola . According to Bettina Luescher , the organization 's chief spokeswoman for North America , the WFP has provided food and assistance to more than 430,000 people affected by the Ebola crisis , feeding people for six months starting eight days after the crisis was declared in Guinea . Food distribution is ongoing in all three countries , with more food on the way . The WFP buys food from the region , for example , 7,000 metric tons of rice being transported from Benin . Luescher said rice , lentils , cooking oil and rations are being distributed , food for hospital patients is cooked by partner organizations , and quarantined populations get the food and take it home to prepare . On the ground , aid workers explain how people should line up for food . They wear protective suits and use megaphones to avoid contact , out of basic safety precautions . `` On the food front , there is tension and nervousness but not panic , '' said Martin Penner , a WFP public information officer and one of the agency 's members in Monrovia , Liberia . `` People are happy to see the food . Ebola is affecting the economy . ... People are finding it hard to get the food they need . '' Penner says officials will know more in the coming weeks about yield as they enter harvest season for the two main crops , rice and maize . Currently , he says , food can be found in the local markets , but often , people ca n't afford to buy it . The price of cassava ( a root vegetable that is a major staple food in many countries ) increased by 150 % in the first weeks of August , according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . `` These are areas where some families spend 75 % of their income on food on a regular basis , '' Penner said . The organization also says labor shortages will impact the cropping season , despite favorable rain conditions this year . `` With the main harvest now at risk and trade and movements of goods severely restricted , food insecurity is poised to intensify in the weeks and months to come . The situation will have long-lasting impacts on farmers ' livelihoods and rural economies , '' Bukar Tijani , FAO regional representative for Africa , said in a statement . Battling Ebola : Two doctors for a county of 85,000 people . As the U.N. 's logistics experts , `` we do more than food . We have started an air bridge with planes and helicopters to fly aid workers to help the people who are really desperate , '' Luescher said . The World Food Programme is 100 % voluntarily funded by governments , companies and private donors . The World Health Organization says more than 3,000 people have died from the virus since March . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that by the end of January , there could be 1.4 million Ebola cases . For ways to help , go to CNN Impact Your World . CNN 's Sarah LeTrent contributed to this report .
More than 3,000 people have died from the Guinea virus since 1990 . Guinea , Liberia and Sierra Leone have been hit hardest . The United Nations World Food Programme is feeding people in affected areas . They use megaphones and ` ` air bridges '' to prevent contamination .