 |
|
Humanitarian Crisis Worsened by Continued Fighting in LiberiaDate: February 28, 2003 
The conflict in Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and the most recent fighting between the Liberian government and the rebel force, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) have worsened the already complex humanitarian crisis in Liberia.
According to local and international media reports, the recent fighting over the past weeks in Liberia has forced close to 36,000 people to flee their homes and head towards refugee camps in the capital Monrovia. Close to 190,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are already housed in these camps. The fighting in Côte d'Ivoire in turn has forced thousands of Liberians who had been living as refugees in that country to flee back to Liberia, consequently increasing the number of IDPs in Liberia.
In response to the crisis, Liberian-based members of the global alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International-- the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the Liberia Council of Churches/United Methodist Church (LCC/UMC), the Lutheran World Federation/World Service (LWF/WS), and the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL), have developed a coordinated response to assist the IDPs and refugees from neighbouring countries in Liberia. Their assistance will mainly focus on camp management, shelter, water and sanitation, social services, food and non-food item distribution, health services, trauma counselling, education and agriculture.
"The very high number and sudden influx of displaced people coming into the existing camps require that thousands sleep in the open and compete for the community's very scare resources," reports Charles Pitchford, representative of LWF/WS in Liberia.
Food rations have been cut in an attempt to make the present World Food Programm stocks last, says Pitchford, adding that "the vast scarcity of safe water poses a serious potential problem which will result in water born diseases from unsafe drinking." Of grave concern is the possibility of measles and cholera outbreaks.
According to the UNHCR, the situation is expected to worsen as thousands of Ivorian refugees and Liberian returnees are waiting in limbo along border points for an opportunity to flee the Ivory Coast into Liberia.
Your gifts to UMCOR's Liberia Emergency, Advance #150300-7 will enable UMCOR to continue its ongoing ministries in Liberia and respond to this latest crisis with humanitarian assistance. Give through your local United Methodist church or mail contributions to: UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Call 1-800-554-8583 to make a credit card donation. One hundred percent of your gift goes to this emergency. United Methodists' generous giving to the One Great Hour of Sharing, part of their ongoing contribution to mission around the world, supplements the cost of Advance gifts.
Photo: A little boy holds his puppy as his family flees from the home in Liberia. Almost 200,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are housed in camps. Credit: Charles Pitchford ACT/LWF 2002.
Source: Action by Churches Together, http://www.act-intl.org.