Liberia (September 1994)

Estimates of the number of displaced/refugees remains unchanged: 

• Liberia: 1.75 million
• Sierra Leone: 0.3 million
• Cote d’Ivoire: 0.25 million
• Guinea: 0.54 million

However, the security situation has deteriorated over the last two months in eastern Sierra Leone and areas of Liberia outside the control of ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) and the estimates have yet to be revised to reflect recent changes.

In Liberia regular food distributions are undertaken only to the 1.06 million beneficiaries in the ECOMOG-controlled areas around Monrovia and Buchanan. In the rest of the country, ie. in NPFL (National Patriotic Front Liberia) and ULIMO (United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia) controlled areas where fighting has increased, distributions are sporadic depending on local security guarantees for the cross-line and cross-border programmes.

At the end of July SCF-UK, MSF(H), LWS and ICRC suspended distributions in these areas.

Extremely high levels of malnutrition (wasting) existed in several towns before the increased fighting.

Little is known about current conditions in inaccessible areas. Not surprisingly the elections scheduled for September have been postponed until October 1995. In Sierra Leone, attacks on the main road between Bo and Kenema hampered food distributions in the east during August.

The displaced population in Freetown has increased and 23,000 are receiving assistance. Even prior to the recent deterioration in security, half of the estimated 300,000 displaced/refugees were inaccessible to relief agencies. Information on the size and condition of the affected population in the light of recent events is limited.