OCHA Situation Report Update 69
IDP Return in Liberia
1 June 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

1. General

As part of the on going monitoring in areas of return on the status of 
IDPs who have returned and reintegrated in their respective communities, 
the IDP Implementation Unit during the week, undertook monitoring 
missions to Grand Cape Mount and Gbarpolu counties. The teams visited 
several villages in both counties. In Grand Cape Mount communities 
visited included Robertsport, Torsor, Sembehun, Weilor, Mambo and Gohn; 
and in Gbarpolu, the team visited Weasua, Bamboo, Tarkpomia, Beatuo and 
Gbarma. A cross-section of people including returnees, local 
authorities, NGOs and law enforcement agencies were interviewed in all 
the communities. Most of the returnees expressed their gratitude to 
those who made their return home possible especially the UN agencies and 
other humanitarian organizations. As the teams went through the 
communities, they observed and were also informed of the absence of 
basic social services (clinics, safe drinking water, schools latrines 
etc.) as well as community empowerment programs. This has been a 
recurring theme in all monitoring missions.

On the whole, the security situation was reported to be calm in the 
communities visited except in Weasua, Gbarpolu County (diamond mining 
town) where crime and violence were reported to be on the increase due 
to the increased number of people coming to the community to engage in 
mining activities. Below are some of the prevailing situations in the 
communities visited.

2. Grand Cape Mount County

Robertsport:

Robertsport is the capital of Grand Cape Mount and is the seat of the 
county superintendent and other county authorities. This community is 
43km off the main highway from Klay junction to BO Waterside, border of 
Liberia with Sierra Leone. It has a population of over 15,000 
inhabitants most of whom are returnees either from refugee camps in 
Sierra Leone or IDP camps in Liberia. The town has one clinic which 
caters for approximately 7,000 patients in a month who come from 
Robertsport and surrounding towns and villages. The clinic has no 
laboratory facilities and the Officer-in-Charge expressed serious 
problems with transporting emergency cases to Monrovia as there is no 
ambulance service in the county. The clinic administrator stressed the 
need for more logistical and financial support for the only clinic in 
the community.

There is a court in the town which resumed its sitting in June 2004, 
however, there is no detention centre and according to the magistrate 
criminals sometimes go scott free if they are not able to send them to 
Tubmanburg or Monrovia. The magistrate also complained of lack of 
stationeries and other logistics for the administration of the court. 
There were reports of rape and burglary in the county.

Tosor:

This community which has a population of about 542 inhabitants is 
situated by Lake Piso in the Tombey District. The community lacks 
clinic, safe drinking water and schools. Inhabitants of this community 
reportedly have to walk one hour to seek medical attention and due to 
the absence of schools in the town, the children do not attend school. 
The local autorities and other informants interviewed are appealing to 
the humanitarian community for assistance in the above areas as well as 
provision of of agricultural implements and seed.

Sembehun:

Like Tosor, Sembehun, is situated near Lake Piso and has a population of 
about 1,035 inhabitants. Most of the residents of this community are 
former IDPs from the Brewerville camps. The community has a government 
clinic that is operated by African Humanitarian Action (AHA) with 
funding from UNHCR. This clinic caters for about 40-50 patients daily. 
There is one latrine, two hand pumps and a private elementary school in 
the community. Norwegian Refugee Council provides educational material 
and support to the school. Action Aid Liberia (AAL) is constructing a 
multi-purpose building for the town. Upon completion, the building will 
be used for town meetings, a school and a recreational centre.

Weilor

Weilor is a community bordering Sierra Leone and is about 10 km from the 
county capital Robertsport. It has a population of about 2,750 
inhabitants most of whom are former IDPs from the Brewerville camps. 
Those interviewed expressed their satisfaction for being back home and 
grateful to the humanitarian community for assisting them. Liberia 
Community Infrastructural Programme (LCIP) has constructed shelters for 
vulnerable and war affected women. Christian Children Fund (CCF) is 
constructing one hand pump in the town; whereas World Vision, Liberia is 
providing materials for the construction of three Latrines for the 
community. This community lacks a clinic and patients reportedly have to 
walk 10 km to the nearest clinic for medical attention. There is one 
government elementary school which is been supported by the Norwegian 
Refugee Council (NRC) in the provision of incentives and educational 
materials for both teachers and the students. The inhabitants are 
appealing for safe drinking water, sanitation and health facilities for 
the community.

Mambo Town Community

Mamba town community which is in Tewor District has a population of 
1,300 inhabitants. Most of the inhabitants are former IDPs and returnees 
from Sierra Leone. There are three old hand pumps being rehabilitated by 
ADEN. The community has two elementary schools (English & Arabic). LACE 
is presently renovating the only government clinic. CCF provides seeds 
and tools to farming families. It was reported that there is a high 
prevalence of domestic violence in the community.

Gohn town

This community has a population of about 510 majority of whom are former 
IDPs from the Montserrado camps. There are four toilets and one hand 
pump, all constructed by ADEN and NRC is sponsoring a swamp rice 
production project for the people. The main problem reported by the 
persons we contacted is lack of individual shelter (due to the lack of 
basic construction materials such as, Zinc, Nails, Door etc.). They are 
therefore appealing for assistance to rebuild their damaged shelters. 
LCIP has constructed three vulnerable shelters for vulnerable and war 
affected women.

3. Gbarpolu County

Weasua Town

Weasua is a major diamond mining town in Gbarma District, Gbarpolu 
County. It had a pre-war population of about 9,000 inhabitants. 
Presently there are approximately 3,100 inhabitants most of whom depends 
on the diamond mining for sustenance. The present population of this 
community is made up of returnees both from Sierra Leone and former IDP 
camps in Liberia. The community lacks WATSAN facilities (safe drinking 
water and toilets). Residents were said to be using the nearby river for 
drinking and household purposes. The same river is also used for 
sanitation. This poses a potential health hazard for the inhabitants. 
There is only one elementary school which is privately owned; but was 
damaged during the civil conflict. It is now operating in the Town Hall 
and has an enrollment of 307 students. The school lacks basic 
instructional materials, chairs/benches, chalkboards and stationeries 
which makes the learning process much more difficult for the children 
and the instructional staffs. The school neither has safe drinking water 
nor latrines for both the teachers and students. The principal of the 
school is appealing for assistance.

Tarkpoima Town

In the Tarkpoima community, about 75% of the inhabitants are former IDP 
returnees from the Jahtondo camp. A meeting held with a cross section of 
the residents reveals that they are happy to be back home and expressed 
gratitude to the UN and other humanitarian organizations for their 
assistance to get them home. This community has an elementary school 
with an enrollment of 245 students (115 males & 130 females). The school 
was renovated by the CCF through a UNHCR funded project. NRC is 
providing minimum assistance in terms of stationeries (copy books, pens, 
pencils etc.) for the instructional staffs and students; as well as 
payment of three teachers' salaries. CCF has also built one latrine and 
one hand pump for the school.

Beatou Town

Beatou town is within the Gbarma district with a population of about 800 
inhabitants about 90% of whom are returnees. There are approximately 300 
habitable shelters, one latrine and two hand pumps. Samaritan Purse is 
distributing agricultural seedlings to the returnees while ICRC is 
distributing farming implements and food for seed security to avoid the 
farmers consuming the seedlings intended for planting.

Gbarma Town

Gbarma town is the district headquarters with a population of about 
10,000 people. Out of this population about 2,000 are returnees from 
various IDP camps including Seigbeh, Plumkor, Perry, Wilson and Ricks. 
This community serves as one of the drop-off points were the second 
ration food ration is being distributed. There is local authority in 
place including one magisterial court which serves the entire district. 
Also in place is the provincial monthly probate court with its assigned 
judge. The District Commissioner is appealing to the national government 
to assign Liberian National Police (LNP) to the surrounding villages to 
assist in promoting law and order. The CIVIPOL was said to be conducting 
regular patrol in the Gbarma town. Security was reported to be calm in 
this community.

Being one of the district headquarters in Gbarpolu County, Gbarma had 26 
primary schools prior to the civil crisis; but only two have been 
renovated by Action Aid Liberia (AAL) and the Christian Children's Fund 
(CCF). The Gbarma central high school which is in session has an 
enrollment of 424 students (221 females & 203 males). UNICEF provides 
instructional materials for the school; whereas WFP is providing food 
for the school feeding program through the NRC. The school also operates 
an adult literacy program through the Accelerated Learning Program 
(ALP). Authorities of the school are appealing for additional supply of 
text books for both the instructional staffs and the students.

Save the Children Fund UK has constructed a 4 bedroom clinic in Gbarma 
community, and is also providing drugs and incentives for the clinical 
staffs. Due to the continuous return of IDPs and other returnees from 
Sierra Leone, as well as others from the surrounding villages, the 
clinic is now experiencing congestion of patients thus creating more 
demands on the meager available drugs provided at the clinic. The 
Officer-in-Charge is therefore appealing to the humanitarian community 
for additional assistance to the clinic with more drugs in order to meet 
the growing demands at the clinic.

4. Situation in the Western Region

Security

The situation within the AOR is calm and no major incidents have been 
reported during the week.

Second food ration

During the week WFP distributed the 2nd food ration to former IDPs from 
the distribution points at Jenneh #3 in Dowein District, Bomi County and 
at Bo Waterside, Tewor District, Grand Cape Mount County. In Jenneh #3 
1,000 IDPs were served on Wednesday May 24 of whom 420 beneficiaries 
were male and 580 were female. On Tuesday May 23 75 IDPs were served in 
Bo Waterside, 35 male and 40 female.

Rule of law

During the Protection Meeting for Bomi County FIND informed on the 
deplorable conditions under which detainees in the Tubmanburg police 
station are living. The cells are overcrowded and many have been 
detained for a long period without trial. FIND has advocated for the 
bailing out of 5 detainees charged with minor offences.

SGBV related issues

On May 23 the Bomi SGBV taskforce conducted an awareness session in Beh 
Town in Dowein District in Bomi County. The session focused on issues 
pertaining to SGBV and HIV/AIDS. On Tuesday May 23 the Community 
Services Section of FOT visited Sasstown and Klay Community Public 
Schools in Klay and Dowein Districts of Bomi County, to initiate the 
establishment of SGBV/HIV School Clubs. Students to participate in the 
project were identified and they will be provided with training on a 
later date.

On Monday May 22 the Field Office conducted a meeting with AHA regarding 
the establishment of a voluntary HIV/AIDS counseling and testing center 
at Sinje Health Center. The staff has undergone the necessary training, 
but some equipment still needs to be provided before the center can be 
opened. The possible implementation of HIV/AIDS activities by CBOs was 
also discussed during the meeting.

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