22 August – Amid hopes that Liberia's nascent peace process heralds the end of a bitter 14-year war, the United Nations warned today that lawlessness is sweeping the overcrowded, disease-ridden capital Monrovia and that the true extent of the country's humanitarian crisis is only starting to emerge as aid agencies begin to travel outside the devastated city.
The atmosphere in Monrovia is characterized by insecurity and tension, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Streets are crowded with hundreds of people leaving camps for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their hometowns. Thousands, meanwhile, still live inside churches, schools, sports facilities and other places that were set up as emergency camps.
Lawlessness remains a problem, WHO said, with reports of shooting in the streets. Private houses and the warehouses of non-governmental organization (NGO) are being looted. So far, the agency's storage facilities have been spared.
According to WHO, there is no running water in the entire city. Relief agencies continue to provide water and food to the refugees in the camps, but the quantities available are small, sometimes only about two litres of water per person each day for cooking, drinking and hygiene. Monrovia has not been reconnected to electricity either, as the city depends entirely on generators. Hospitals save electricity wherever they can by shutting down power part of the day and switching on emergency generators in case of urgent surgery.
Although malnutrition and high incidence of malaria count among the key health concerns, WHO said the most pressing problem remains the cholera outbreak. Although estimates indicate at least 260 new cases per week - compared to fewer than 25 per week last year - the agency said the figure may be much higher and is working to establish a disease surveillance system. So far, all health partners have agreed on a common case reporting form for priority epidemic prone diseases.
Meanwhile, the issue of access to other parts of Liberia is a major concern. Ross Mountain, UN Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance in Liberia, is currently organizing joint assessment missions into the country's counties, which should eventually lead to cross-border movement.
Yesterday, he led a second exploratory mission to Tubmanburg, a town about 50 kilometres north of Monrovia, where an estimated 20,000 people have been displaced amid the recent fighting. The mission said health and education were the top areas of concern - all schools were reported destroyed. Today, another UN mission went to Liberia's second city, Buchanan, where the humanitarian situation is reported to be serious.
Back in the capital, as WHO coordinates all the activities of health agencies on the ground, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the first airlift of much-needed relief supplies is expected in Monrovia from nearby Ghana this weekend.
A cargo plane carrying six trucks and basic household supplies for an estimated 10,000 people is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Additional supplies for an estimated 7,000 people are also expected aboard the MV Overbeck, the rescue ship chartered by UNHCR in July to evacuate Sierra Leonean refugees from Liberia.
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