Humanitarian situation worsens as conflict continues
Update / 26 June 2003
The recent, brief ceasefire in Liberia has collapsed and there is fighting in the capital,
Monrovia. Thousands of Liberians, who had begun to return to their homes, are once again fleeing for safety.
Conditions for displaced people living in various types of temporary accommodation in central Monrovia remains
uncertain. There have been 23 deaths as a result of disease and hunger since the fighting resumed according to World Vision. The need for humanitarian aid
remains acute.
18 June 2003 A ceasefire has been signed between the
warring factions in the Liberia conflict. UMCOR Liberia staff in Monrovia report that the situation remains tense and there are still thousands of
displaced Liberians sheltering in the city while many foreign nationals have been evacuated. The humanitarian needs are extensive, covering water and
sanitation, food and clothing, shelter, health, transportation and the resettlement of those displaced. UMCOR Liberia is presently talking with the World
Food Program (WFP) and an interagency group, developing strategies to supply food, water and shelter.
UMCOR
Sierra Leone is currently providing assistance to Liberian refugees at Tobanda camp, together with the Lutheran World Federation/Department for
World Service (LWF/DWS). UMCOR
Sierra Leone is a partner in the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International appeal, directed at the east and north of
Sierra Leone where Liberian refugees are concentrated. The appeal's focus is on post war reconstruction and recovery, addressing issues such as health and
food security. 12 May 2003 The fighting between government and anti-government
forces continues in Liberia. Several IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in the vicinity of the
capital, Monrovia, have been attacked leading to increased numbers of IDPs on the move. Foreign and national
aid workers have been warned of the security risk and in certain areas of the country, in particular in Ganta, some have already been forced to flee.
The unstable security situation is making it extremely difficult for humanitarian agencies to reach IDPs with roughly
two-thirds of the country inaccessible to aid agencies. Further, refugees are finding themselves under attack. It is believed that some have been
abducted, conscripted or subjected to other gross violations of human rights. Essentials such as food, water and shelter are in short supply. 20
March 2003 Fighting within Liberia as well as along the border with the Ivory Coast has caused thousands to flee their homes. As a
result, many Liberians are now internally displaced people (IDPs) and are heading towards the already overflowing refugee camps around the country,
including those in and around the Liberian capital, Monrovia (estimates of the number of IDPs range from 100,000 to 180,000). The humanitarian situation
is being further aggravated by the influx of Liberian returnees from the neighboring Ivory Coast following recent hostilities there. As many as 80,000
refugees from Ivory Cost are estimated to have fled to Liberia in recent months. UMCOR Head of Mission in Liberia, Kerry Sly, has also
expressed concern that the approach of the proposed elections, scheduled to take place in the autumn of 2003, may cause the
conflict to escalate yet further, leading to fighting between the various factions and economic deterioration. UMCOR in Liberia is
currently working in cooperation with Action By Churches Together (ACT) International, the Lutheran World Federation/World Service (LWF/WS), the Lutheran
Church in Liberia (LCL) and the Liberia Council of Churches/United Methodist Church (LCC/UMC) on a coordinated response to the humanitarian crisis. |
