AID AGENCIES RESUME ACTIVITIES IN LIBERIA DURING LULL IN FIGHTING

AID AGENCIES RESUME ACTIVITIES IN LIBERIA DURING LULL IN FIGHTING

NEW YORK, 2 July (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- A lull in the fighting in Monrovia has allowed the national staff of humanitarian agencies to resume some basic relief activities.  Their efforts, however, continue to be constrained by an uncertain security environment and a shortage of relief supplies.  Humanitarian endeavours are further hindered by the looting of stocks of fuel, medicines and medical supplies, as well as the theft of some 20 vehicles belonging to aid organizations.

Humanitarian needs in Monrovia remain critical as most aid distributions had stopped during intense fighting last week, and shortages of water and sanitation facilities make the further outbreaks of communicable diseases a highly probable.  Internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees are especially vulnerable, as they are unable to receive sufficient amounts of aid and are often targeted for harassment by armed groups.  The families and communities hosting vulnerable groups are themselves coping with rising prices of basic commodities and the threat that fighting could resume at any time.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that if the current ceasefire continues to hold, they will soon begin to evacuate Sierra Leonean and other refugees trapped in Monrovia.  If a UNHCR boat can dock safely in Monrovia, a vessel with the capacity of carrying up to 250 passengers will begin to transport refugees to Freetown by end of the week.  There are an estimated 15,000 Sierra Leonean refugees currently in Liberia, roughly 1,000 of whom are seeking shelter at the United Nations compound in Monrovia.

If security conditions allow, the distribution of food to some of Monrovia’s most vulnerable groups may resume by the end of the week. The World Food Programme (WFP) plans to supply food distribution to an estimated 70,000 IDPs at the national stadium, and to other IDPs in irregular shelters around Monrovia.  There are indications that food shortages are becoming critical as one non-governmental organization, Action against Hunger, has reported that 858 of the 2,142 children they recently assessed were suffering from malnutrition -- a 75 per cent increase from previous months.

Monrovia’s hospitals continue to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients.  In an effort to address the shortage of medical supplies at the J.F. Kennedy Hospital, a cargo aircraft charted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered eight tonnes of medical supplies such as stretchers, bed sheets, clothing for medical staff and body bags to Monrovia.

To stem the spread of cholera, of which there have been more than 500 confirmed cases, aid organizations are working with the Ministry of Health to establish oral rehydration therapy (ORT) centres in various parts of the city.  Four water tankers donated by the European Union continue to truck water to IDP shelters, and the Liberian Red Cross Society is also supplying water in jerry cans to selected shelters around Monrovia.  But these interventions cannot be sufficient in a city of 1 million people where there has been no supply of clean water for more than five years.

For further information, please contact:  In New York:  Stephanie Bunker, tel. (212)-963-1143; in Nairobi:  Lucy Hannan, tel. 254-733-6163-52, Max Gaylard, tel. 254-722-2671-47

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