Refugees International (RI) advocates Sally Chin and Mamie Mutchler and Dan Wolf and Deborah Terry of the George Wolf Operating Foundation are conducting a humanitarian assessment mission to Liberia to address the needs of displaced persons and returning refugees from neighboring countries, such as Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.

Since the signing of the August 2003 peace agreement and the exile of former President Charles Taylor to Nigeria, progress has been made in quelling the conflict. The UN peacekeeping mission, UNMIL, has deployed 15,000 troops across Liberia, 100,000 former combatants have been disarmed, and efforts are underway for the over 500,000 displaced and 350,000 refugees to return home in time for the upcoming elections in October 2005.

Despite this progress, there are reasons to remain concerned. In violation of the terms of his amnesty, Charles Taylor has been accused of continued meddling in West African politics. Despite an international outcry, he has not been handed over to the Special Court in Sierra Leone for prosecution for war crimes.

Funding and logistical support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of former combatants, including child soldiers, and for the protection and return of IDPs and refugees are severely lacking. Despite the vast campaign of violence carried out against women during the civil conflict, with estimates of over 60% of women subjected to sexual violence, very little programming exists to address women’s physical and mental health needs, let alone the underlying factors of violence in society and the empowerment of women.

The joint RI-George Wolf Operating Foundation team will arrive in Monrovia on May 25th and travel to IDP and refugee transit centers and camps, and to areas of return. Following the completion of the mission on June 5th, advocates Sally Chin and Mamie Mutchler will continue on to Cote d’Ivoire.