LIBERIA: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE SCALING UP

LIBERIA:  HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE SCALING UP

            NEW YORK, 15 October (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) –- United Nationshumanitarian agencies and their non-governmental organization partners in Liberia are scaling up their programmes to resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs), tackle shortages of clean drinking water and reopen schools.  Humanitarian activities had been temporarily curtailed after a security incident in Monrovia on 1 October.

The United Nations and its partners undertook initial IDP site assessments in Harbel (3,000-5,000) and Fendell (8,000-10,000).  The goal of the assessments was to identify suitable sites for 20,000 people in both Harbel and Fendell where the humanitarian community can provide proper health, water and sanitation and support in camp layout, movement of IDPs and distribution of shelter materials.  Between 9 and 10 October 485 IDPs were relocated from schools in Monrovia and its environs to Fendell.  This brings the total to just under 800 IDPs, relocated from schools in Firestone to Fendell in the last week.  Relocation of about 3,000 internally displaced persons from temporary shelters has been completed from schools and public buildings to a newly established transit camp in Kakata.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which has so far distributed relief materials to some 40,000 people in Liberia, has transported non-food items and shelter material to the sites at Fendell, and is extending the same assistance to Unification camp in Harbel.  The agency has also transported all IDPs to the new site.

To address the need for clean drinking water, the United NationsChildren’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have carried out a chlorination programme in Buchanan.  In Monrovia, some 5,500 open wells benefiting 400,000 people were chlorinated during the sixth round of the mass chlorination campaign undertaken by United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and Liberian government ministries.  The UNICEF is developing a template for water and sanitation interventions in the camps to identify gaps in the sector.  The non-governmental organization Action Contre la Faim (ACF) is currently completing test drilling of boreholes in IDP settlements in Unification Town.  The ACF is also assessing water and sanitation in the districts of Paynesville Red Light, Soul Clinic, ELWA Junction and Wood Camp.  Action Aid, an international non-governmental organization, has completed rehabilitating 500 of the planned 800 shelters for vulnerable families.

Under the United Nations programme for Rapid Assessment of Learning Spaces, verification of data collected is being finalized in preparation for detailed plans for the distribution of Back to School supplies.  Also, as part of the Back to School strategy, the first county training and teacher- orientation workshops will be held from 16 to 18 October in Montserrado and Margibi counties.  Fifty-two people were trained to undertake water and environmental sanitation assessments in support of the UNICEF-supported Back To School campaign in Montserrado, Margibi and Grand Bassa counties.

            For further information, please call Rosemary Musumba +377 47 530 048 (OCHA Liberia); Stephanie Bunker +917 367 5126 (OCHA NY), Elizabeth Byrs +41 22 917 2653 (OCHA Geneva)

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