Concern assists 150,000 Liberians to rebuild their lives
Thursday, 26 October 2006
Listen to Concern's Marianne Byrne on post-war Liberia.
"There is no general electricity in the country, no running water, there is no sewage system, no postal system, no public transport. This country has been absolutely devastated. It needs every bit of support in every sector. There's nothing that doesn't need to be done."
This is the verdict of Concern Liberia country director Marianne Byrne who has observed the country attempting to build a new future following 14 years of crippling civil war.
To listen to an audio interview with Concern's Marianne Byrne click below.
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Recently elected President Johnson-Sirleaf has brought new hope to the country but her government have little or no resources to mend the country’s ruined infrastructure or provide services to the people. Half of all Liberians live on less than 50 cents per day.
Up until 2004 a quarter of Liberia's population lived in crowded displacement camps where they fled to for security. The arrival of Johnson-Sirleaf has coincided with a sustained period of peace. With the arrest and extradition of former warlord President Charles Taylor, Liberians are now hopeful of a war-free future. This has seen them vacate the displacement camps en masse.
Concern is helping tens of thousands to re-start their lives in Lofa County which was undoubtedly the most devastated and depopulated county during Liberia's civil war. The people of Lofa are returning to ransacked and overgrown villages and fields which have lain fallow for years. They are starting from scratch after years of war and displacement.
Last year Concern distributed essential items such as cooking kits, blankets, mats, lanterns, clothing materials, shelters and water and sanitation facilities to 150,000 people trying to return home to the villages of Lofa County. Concern also rehabilitated water and sanitation facilities in the villages so as people could have access to clean water when they returned.
As Liberia becomes more secure, Concern is moving from emergency to development. Concern is now trying to help the same people become self-sufficient by providing them with seeds and farming tools. Concern are also rebuilding bridges in rural areas allowing farmers to get their produce to market and therefore stimulating the local economy.
