Action by Churches Together (ACT)
ACT News Update
Liberia 01/04
10 December 2004


ACT members assist Ivorian refugees in Liberia

Geneva, December 10, 2004- Staff representatives of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) in Liberia and West Africa and Diakonie Emergency Aid
(DEA), members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT)
International, visited areas on the Liberia-Cote d'Ivoire border on
December 1 and 2 to assess the situation of the Ivorian refugees and
communities that are hosting them.

In early November, thousands of people began fleeing from their homes in
Cote d'Ivoire into eastern Liberia after Ivorian government forces broke
an 18-month cease-fire and bombed rebel strongholds. On November 22, the
ACT Coordinating Office sent US$49,632 in Rapid Response Funds to its
member in Liberia, LWF, to enable it to respond immediately to the
situation. LWF was able to distribute urgently needed non-food items to
the refugees, including quilts, layettes, assorted clothing, and sleeping
mats. LWF was able to use donated stocks of supplies from ACT member
Lutheran World Relief.

The team visiting the border areas, led by Kai Jelly, emergency officer
for LWF Liberia, visited two major entry points for refugees - Butuo and
Gborplay. Following the visit, Jelly reported that in LWF's initial
response, it was able to carry out a distribution of relief supplies in
the communities of Gborplay and Garplay and plans to cover an additional
three towns including Butuo, a major host community where there are more
than 3,000 refugees. A total of 786 refugee families have received relief
supplies.

The team also observed that both the refugees and communities hosting them
are likely to face food shortages soon. The 28 Ivorian refugee families
residing at the Butuo way station constructed by UNHCR appeared to have
food for the immediate future, but the food airlifted there by the World
Food Program had not been distributed at the time of the team's visit,
Jelly reported.

Jelly also said that there is also an urgent need to provide safe drinking
water to the host communities for the residents' and refugees'
consumption. The water and sanitation facilities put in place in the host
communities about 14 years ago were either looted or damaged. The DEA
staff member on the team is considering the provision of funds to support
the rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities and the distribution
of food.

The residents of the host communities are supportive and responsive to the
needs of the refugees, but are overwhelmed due to limited resources at
their disposal, according to Jelly.

The ACT Coordinating Office urges ACT members to replenish the Rapid
Response Funds used to respond to this emergency. This will enable it to
offer immediate assistance through the fund as new, rapid-onset
emergencies occur.


For further information, please contact:
ACT Communications Officer Callie Long (mobile/cell
phone +41 79 358 3171)
or
ACT Press Officer Stephen Padre (mobile/cell phone +41 79 681 1868)


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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