wfn.org | LWI FEATURE: Liberia - Signs of Hope at Home, Dire Needs at

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank.Imhoff@elca.org>]

FEATURE: Liberia - Signs of Hope at Home, Dire Needs at Refugee Camps 
LWF Provides Basic Needs for Liberian Refugees in Sierra Leone

KENEMA, Sierra Leone/GENEVA, 16 December 2005 (LWI) - Mamusu Greye, a
single mother with four dependants recalls the day her family arrived at
Tobanda refugee camp in 2003. She received a kitchen set*cooking
utensils, plates, cups and spoons*and a lantern, blankets, jerry cans,
plastic buckets and mats. However, after almost three years of constant
use and repair, little remains of the non-food items (NFIs). 

Greye is now forced to borrow basic items like cooking pots from
neighbors. When it rains, her family, like many others in the camp
cannot enjoy decent sleep because the shelter leaks so badly. The May to
November rainy season is heaviest between July and September. Its last
stages usher in the harmattan period, which is characterized by severe
cold and dry winds lasting through February, exposing families to
further harsh weather conditions.

Unlike food items, which are distributed every month to refugees, NFIs
are supplied only once, upon arrival in a camp. There is growing concern
among the refugees over the need for NFIs' replenishment.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World Service (DWS)
regional program in West Africa (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) has
been managing the Tobanda camp since its establishment by the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in March 2003. Located
some 24 kilometers west of the eastern town of Kenema, it is among eight
such camps in the eastern and southern provinces of Sierra Leone. By
November 2005, the camp had some 4,780 Liberian refugees.

Mr Morris T. Kulabengu, the food and NFI committee chairperson, a
refugee himself, said "many of our people are in such dire need of NFIs
to the extent that some have resulted to using the 'Charles Taylor
lantern' at the camp." Possibly coined after the hardships Liberians
encountered at the hands of former rebel group leader, now exiled
ex-president Charles Taylor, the lantern is easy to assemble - a piece
of cotton in a metal plate or cup filled with oil when lit burns slowly,
providing enough light to a household. However, the lamps are a
potential danger, particularly in a crowded camp, where negligence could
lead to a major fire outbreak. 

It is several months now since concerns about the NFIs were raised, and
the LWF office continues to seek ways to provide replacements,
especially to the most vulnerable families. Back home in Liberia, the
political situation has progressed significantly with the peaceful
conclusion of general elections and the anticipated January 2006
takeover by the newly-elected government led by president-elect Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first woman head of state. 

There is hope for peace and stability, and the refugees here have
expressed their willingness for voluntary repatriation being facilitated
by the UNHCR in collaboration with LWF/DWS-Sierra Leone. Nevertheless,
many still, despite readiness to return home and contribute to
rebuilding a nation devastated by 14 years of civil war, are cautious
about their security. It may be quite some time before many of the
Liberians at Tobanda refugee camp return to face further challenges of
resettlement. (526 words)

(By Alfred Gorvie, LWF/DWS Sierra Leone information assistant, Tobanda
refugee camp.)

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140
member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total
membership of nearly 66 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights,
communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.
Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the
dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be
freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

*	*	*

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