August 12 2003
Urgent humanitarian relief for Liberia
12/08/2003 - With President Charles Taylor having resigned from office yesterday, co-workers of SOS Children's Villages observed a considerable reduction of tension in the country. The humanitarian situation of the people is, however, desperate, with food and drugs not available there. Even those 5,000 people having stayed on the grounds of the SOS Children's Village until yesterday could not be provided with sufficient food supplies during the past days.
Living conditions for the people of Monrovia und tens of thousands of refugees at the numerous camps in the city had become unbearable during the past days. SOS Children's Village director in Liberia George Kordahi reported that people even had to pay USD 100 for one sack of rice. It became impossible to provide those app. 5,000 refugees staying at the SOS Children's Village with what they needed.
However, George Kordahi expects the port of Monrovia to be opened on Wednesday and thus aid supplies to be made available to the totally exhausted population of Monrovia and the refugees. It is assumed that thousands of people who had found refuge and shelter in the buildings of the SOS Children's Village compound in the past weeks will return to their homes and villages during the days to come.
Medical assistance services and drugs can still be provided for free by the SOS Medical Centre, concerted activities have been planned in co-operation with MSF Belgium and MSF Holland (MSF - Médecins sans Frontières) for the near future.
Communication with the SOS Children's Village Juah Town cut off for days was successfully re-established. None of the co-workers in Juah Town was harmed; no damage was done to the buildings.
SOS Children's Villages Liberia is about to prepare further relief measures for the Monrovian people in need as early as this week.