The C.D.C. said that only 18 percent of patients in Liberia are being cared for in proper medical centers, raising the risk of the Ebola virus spreading through communities.

Hervé Gourdel, who was seized on Sunday by a group aligned with the Islamic State, was seen beheaded in a video circulated online on Wednesday.

Desperation grows among political prisoners, but the regime continues to ignore their plight.