In Liberia, fifteen months of sustained and intensive warfare waged by the two rebel factions, LURD and MODEL, against government forces has left nearly half the population of 2.7 million displaced—their homes and farms looted and destroyed. After the departure of President Taylor into exile in Nigeria, the arrival of ECOMIL peacekeeping troops, and the signing of a peace accord in Ghana, Liberians are attempting to recover from a civil war that, among other destructive consequences, involved the widespread use and recruitment of child soldiers. Some estimate the total number of child soldiers at 20,000. In addition, thousands of innocent people have been killed and countless women and girls have been indiscriminately raped. Children have been orphaned or separated from their families. The civilian population is largely homeless and brutalized.

Refugees International is revisiting Liberia to assess conditions there after the appointment of a new President of Liberia, Ghudye Bryant. Bryant represents a neutral leader, mediating between the rival factions of the two rebel groups and the remnants of Taylor’s administration.

RI will be conducting a humanitarian assessment and looking at the overall humanitarian and reconstruction needs of Liberians.  We will focus in particular on the needs of child soldiers, specifically girl child soldiers.  We will focus on attempts to demobilize them, as well as reintegration opportunities available to them. In addition, we will examine the issues of gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV/AIDS transmission. RI will also investigate allegations of ongoing LURD recruitment of children.  

There are roughly 73,000 Liberian refugees in Guinea.  RI will travel to N'zerekore to assess the assistance and protection needs of Liberian refugees, paying particular attention to the needs of refugee children. There are reports that U.S. support to Liberian refugees in Guinea has been reduced in favor of funding for work in Iraq. RI will attempt to verify these reports and examine the consequences of any funding cuts.

The assessment mission will start on November 3rd and last for three weeks.