Liberia: Thousands of displaced need help

As fighting intensify the humanitarian situation in Lofa is rapidly getting worse. ACT member Lutheran World Federation reports that thousands of IDPs are moving down towards the Western Region, and they are in need of transit shelters, food, medicine, drinking water and tools for construction of shelters and for agricultural activities to supplement relief food.

After the dissident attack on Voinjama City, Upper Lofa County, in July 2000 fighting has been spreading within the county. When fighting erupted again in October many people had to abandon their fields just at the time of harvesting. It was a blow to LWF’s relief work in the area assisting people to resettle after the civil war. A hospital run by LWF was looted. Now fighting in Lofa is said to have spread to five of its six districts. There are reportedly 10,000 IDPs between Lofa and Bomi who have to be relocated.

In cooperation with other aid agencies LWF plans to provide water and sanitation facilities, agricultural tool kits, non-food items such as clothes, blankets, soap and health kits and to assist with the transportation of IDPs from Lower Lofa to Grand Cape Mount County. An estimated 400 families or 2000 persons will benefit from this programme.

Liberia still shows the scars of a devastating six year civil war, which ended in 1995. The then rebels led by the current president, Charles Taylor, ravaged the country. Thousands of people were killed, raped or mutilated. "We loved to live here just outside the capital Monrovia", Michael says pointing at the skeleton of his family’s house, which was looted and burned by the rebels. Now he lives in Monrovia, the overcrowded capital of Liberia where he works for LWF. But not many young men were as lucky as Michael in finding a job. The economy is down because most of the company facilities have been destroyed. Foreign investors have left the country and will not return as long as security is not guaranteed.

ACT issued an appeal for Liberia in March 2001 with a target of nearly 640,000 USD to assist internally displaced and returnees from neighbouring countries who had fled Liberia during the civil war.

ACT member LWF proposes to assist 25,000 IDPs in Lofa and Bomi Counties, affected by the hostilities between rebels and government forces. They will focus especially on the district of Salayea with food, blankets, clothes, seeds and tools as well as improvement of water and sanitation and support for a mobile clinic.

ACT member Concerned Christian Community (CCC) a member of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) is targeting about 600 women who have experienced torture, rape and witnessed their husbands and other relatives killed. CCC proposes to assist the women with food and non food items, trauma counselling, provision of basic health care and small grants for income generating activities. Also skills training in basic trades such as soap making cookery or sewing and provision of seeds and tools aiming at household food security.