Monrovia, Liberia, 16 May, 2012 - In fulfilment of a promise made during the Ivorian refugee influx into Liberia more than a year ago, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has donated six brand new vehicles, including two ambulances and four Toyota LC 200 Land Cruisers, to Liberia’s border counties hosting Ivorian refugees.
Monrovia, April 20, 2012– The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Liberia and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) are “deeply concerned about climate change and its associated impact on the agricultural sector of Liberia and West Africa at large.”
Some 69,561 ivorian refugees still living in Liberia while a total of 2,551 others have been voluntarily repatriated to Cote d’Ivoire by UNHCR
To normalize its pipeline status,WFP procured 1,434 metric tons of rice from the Ministry of Trade and Industry
Children and women both in camps and host communities lack psychosocial support services due to absence of child protection partners with requisite capacity
The World Food Program (WFP) requires an additional US$21 million to respond to the needs of refugees and Liberian host communities. Starting this month food assistance will be provided only to refugees residing in camps and relocation villages. Some 47,000 people will receive 10 days cereal ration (4.2Kg) and 30 days ration of corn-soya blend, pulses and salt and 60 days ration of oil.
Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities in Ziah, Solo and Duogee refugee settlements are needed.
• UNHCR reports total number of refugees in Liberia at 135, 208 as of 15 December 2011. Nimba County hosts 41,946 refugees, Grand Gedeh 62,017, River Gee 11,530, Maryland 12,819 and Montserrado 377. Refugees are returning to CDI, especially from Maryland County, which accounts for about 76%.
The refugee figure has decreased by 37,070 due to increase in spontaneous return (36,648), especially from Maryland, and Grand Gedeh. The UNHCR and partners facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 422 refugees to CDI. The refugee number stands at 138,152.
During the reporting period 3,266 refugees were relocated to the camps. The total current population of the camp is 43,761 refugees.
• The United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) facilitated the first voluntary repatriation to Côte d' Ivoire on Friday, 21 October. The convoy of 114 individuals from Solo Refugee Camp marked the commencement of facilitated voluntary return of Ivorian refugees.
• A nationwide measles campaign including emergency counties is scheduled to take place from 25th November to 1st December targeting 577,030 children of 6-59 months of age including refugees.
Humanitarian activities in the field were scaled down as staff members of the UN and its implementing partners limited their movements during the ensuing general elections.
• Spontaneous return of Ivorian refugees to Côte d'Ivoire from camps and host communities continued. UNHCR in Zwedru has scheduled its first transport assistance to an estimated 140 refugees to Côte d’Ivoire for Friday, October 21, 2011.
• The number of Ivorian refugees now stands at 159,000, dropping from 178,000, after completing a verification exercise. Thorough house to house checks were also carried out, which also discovered some abandoned shelters and deregistered occupants. 19,000 decrease is due to refugees who had returned to their places of origin. A total of 9000 ration cards have been handed over to UNHCR Liberia from Abidjan. These have been deregistered from UNHCR data base.
• Last week, 813 Ivorian refugees were relocated to PTP, Little Wlebo and Bahn camps. This includes 588 refugees to PTP, 31 individuals to Bahn camp and 194 refugees to Little Wlebo.
Among those who relocated to Little Wlebo following an awareness campaign included 125 refugees from River Gee County most of whom had earlier refused to relocate following the introduction of new services in host communities by some partners.
• A total of 1,022 refugees relocated to camps during the reporting period, including 724 from Zwedru to PTP camp, 212 relocated to Little Wlebo from Pedebo, Cavalla, Pullah and Harper City while 37 refugees relocated from River Gee to Little Wlebo.
• Toe Town Transit Centre is now closed, as the last batch of 49 refugees was relocated to Dougee camp on 16 September.
• In accordance with the Government’s Strategic direction for the Refugee programming, UNHCR in collaboration with LRRRC has relocated 1,380 refugees to the camps during the week, added to the total of 31,500 refugees. The strategic plan is to relocate 80, 000 refugees by the end of2011.
Monrovia, Liberia. 08 September 2011. Sweden today signed an agreement with the United Nations, providing SEK 38 million (approximately US$ 6 million) in support of efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender based violence in Liberia. Mr. Klas Gierow, Acting Chargé d’Affaires at the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia signed on behalf of the Government of Sweden, while the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms. Esperance Fundira, signed on behalf of the UN in Liberia.
Second food security workshop considers viable opportunities for supporting Ivorian refugees and host communities in Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Maryland Counties meet basic food security needs.
New refugee arrivals into Liberia continued during the reporting period.
In Maryland County, 45 individuals comprising 18 families approached the UNHCR office. The new arrivals, mostly from the Krumen ethnic group in Tabou region, claimed to have fled Côte d’Ivoire for security reasons. They were screened, registered, provided with NFIs and relocated to the Little Wlebo Refugee Camp. New arrivals were also reported in other border counties including Nimba and Grand Gedeh.
UNHCR Liberia "Solutions Approach for Ivorian Refugees in Liberia" strategy was finalized. An operational meeting with field staff, technical experts, Monrovia staff and representatives of the Libe-ria Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) was held on 29 July to operationalize the strategy.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has closed a major transit centre for Ivorian refugees in Maryland County, oneof Liberia’s border counties with Côte d’Ivoire.
The Bishop Ferguson Transit Centre, which was established on 31 March when large numbers of Ivorians started crossing into Maryland County, closed on Thursday, 21 July with the last batch of 515 refugees relocating to the Little Wlebo Refugee Camp about 17 km from the transit centre.
“The 2011 elections will be a milestone towards strengthening peace in Liberia for Liberians,” the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Ellen Margrethe Løj said at UNMIL Head quarters in Monrovia on Wednesday July 13 when she awarded UN peacekeeping medals to 15 Nepalese Military Police Officers as an acknowledgement for their commitment in maintaining peace and stability and their dedication to the UN.
SRSG Løj took the opportunity to call upon all components of UNMIL to protect Liberia’s hard earned peace, despite several challenges.
• UNHCR figures indicate an estimated total Ivorian refugee population in Liberia of 149,453.
• The government of Liberia is developing “Policy Paper” for refugee settlements and assistance which is expected to be released next week.
• Political campaigning for the upcoming October elections in Liberia started Tuesday July 5, 2011.
• In Zwedru Town, Grand Gedeh County, a 6 year old female refugee was found dead on Saturday July 9, 2011. Ritual murder has not been ruled out as cause of her death.
