Geneva, July 24, 2003 - Fighting
in the Liberian capital Monrovia continues to exact a heavy toll on the
population.
The Liberian representative of Lutheran
World Federation (LWF), Charles Pitchford earlier today confirmed reports
that the city is facing a water crisis. Yesterday's heavy rains brought
a small reprieve, as people could at least collect the rainwater in buckets.
However, access to clean, safe drinking water and shortages of staple foods
such as rice are seeing to it that getting by is becoming increasingly
difficult for the people trapped in the city. "Conditions are shocking."
The list of challenges facing the people of Monrovia is growing. "Fighting continues downtown, as well as on the outskirts of the city. The hospitals are overflowing and cannot take more people. And deaths by cholera are mounting," Pitchford said, adding that LWF - a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International - are increasingly being approached by individuals desperate for help. "But, we are holed up along with everyone else and cannot do anything," he said. "The city is still a very tense and dangerous place."
At least 600 people have sought refuge in two Lutheran Church compounds in the city. In spite of the ongoing street battles, some of the local LWF staff members have started visiting the compounds to check on people holed up there. "For the last year it's become common practice for people to seek refuge at these compounds," Pitchford said. "Now it's a case of having more people in the same places."
People are still hoping that the promised peacekeeping force of 1,000 soldiers from Nigeria will come to their aid soon, although reports have it that the peacekeepers will only be sent once a cease fire is in place again.
"As long as there's hope," says Pitchford, "those who survive the fighting will somehow get through this."
Before the most recent fighting, several ACT International members and partners, locally and internationally, were responding to the humanitarian crisis brought on by a steady increase in attacks and counter attacks between government and rebel forces, in spite of limited funds being available. United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), as an implementing partner of the UN World food Program, was distributing food to nearly 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in various centers in Monrovia. LWF was responding to the humanitarian needs of some 40,000 IDPs, distributing food and non-food items that had been donated by Norwegian Church Aid.
ACT partner, Concerned Christian Community (CCC), was providing emergency trauma and HIV/AIDS counseling, health care and material relief assistance to more than 1,000 sexually abused women and girls at the main sport complex in the city, which is shelter to the largest concentration of IDPs in one place in the city. CCC has also distributed relief items to other IDPs in the Monrovia area and was continuing its regular program at the Totota/Maimu IDP camp under the current ACT Appeal (AFLR31). CCC was also able to distribute a shipment of food and non-food items, donated by Church World Service. The United Methodist Church's (UMC) donation of food and hygiene-related items was distributed amongst 5,234 IDPs in the city. The Presbyterian Church was planning on distributing assorted relief items among IDPs - a plan that had to be put on hold as renewed fighting broke out.
A shipment of humanitarian relief items by Lutheran World Relief is safely stored, awaiting distribution by LWF as soon as it is safe enough for staff to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people of the city.
Several ACT members have also responded to the crisis by offering financial support.
ACT member, Liberian Council of Churches, who has been playing an active role in peace talks, continues, in spite of the fighting, to be involved with peace building and advocacy efforts amongst the two main rebel forces, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and The Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) as well as the government.
For further information please contact:
ACT Communication Officer Callie Long
(mobile/cell phone +41 79 358 3171)
ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org
ACT is a world-wide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.