Liberia: Food shortage hits refugee communities in River Gee County
Reports from River Gee County in southeastern Liberia say there is an acute food shortage affecting Ivorian refugees and host communities.
The Superintendent of the county, Daniel Johnson, told WADR that besides the Samaritan Purse that made very little intervention, the refugees have received relief from no other source.
“Local communities in these areas also have food shortage, something that the county authority is struggling to address through the various agricultural activities here,” Mr. Johnson explained, while appealing for urgent food and medical assistance.
He spoke on the food crisis after leading a joint UN Military and Civil Affairs Team to assess the crisis in the border region.
WADR Monrovia correspondent reports that there is a steadily growing refugee population in River Gee County that’s receiving very little media or relief attention in favor of the highly concentrated refugee communities in Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Maryland Counties.
Many Ivoirians still choose to live in Liberia at least for now, despite the fact that the power struggle that followed the disputed presidential election ended with the fall of Laurent Gbagbo last April.
It is estimated that 166,000 Ivorian refugees currently live in Liberia, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
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