Liberia: 30,000 IDPs begin the journey back

(Monrovia: 9 September 2003) At least 30,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) located in 116 temporary shelters throughout Monrovia and its environs, are set to embark on the first step of their journey home this week.
United Nations agencies including the World Food Programme (WFP), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), together with their implementing NGO partners and local authorities have progressed in their preparations for returning approximately 30,000 IDPs from their present shelters to camps within Montserrado County, 15 kilometers from the city centre, where they had resided prior to the most recent conflict. Presently located in 56 school buildings, and one health clinic, in and around Monrovia, the transfer of the IDPs will commence this Thursday 11 September.

"The movement of these IDPs brings these families a step closer to returning to their place of origin, primarily in north and north-east Liberia", said Ross Mountain, the UN Special Humanitarian Coordinator in Monrovia.

"A key aspect of this joint United Nations, NGO and Government initiative is the vacating of the schools and health centres currently occupied by the IDPs. The freeing up of these social structures will allow for their immediate rehabilitation and their renewed use by children, and people, of Liberia," Mr Mountain added.

This initiative is part of a UNICEF led "back-to-school" strategy surveying educational facilities to ensure schools are ready to host students for the new school year starting 20th of October 2003. The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, will provide school supplies for teachers and students, including shelter assistance. WFP is also exploring the use of its innovative Food-for-Work Programme as a method of payment for teachers.

UNHCR will be coordinate the transfer of the IDPs, including overall management of the initiative. Oce the IDPs arrive in the camps in Montserrado County they will receive food rations provided by WFP. Agencies and their implementing partners will also distribute shelter material, non-food items and provide other services.

Already, tens of thousands of IDPs have spontaneously returned to the IDP camps in Montserrado where they have received assistance from the humanitarian community. In anticipation of the arriving IDPs, security for the camps is being further enhanced with the active cooperation of ECOMIL forces who are now undertaking regular patrols.

For further information, please call Nicholas McGowan +377 47 530 433 (OCHA Liberia); Stephanie Bunker +212 963 1143 (OCHA NY), Elizabeth Byrs +41 22 917 2653 (OCHA Geneva).