New York, Jan 25 2011 2:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency has <"http://www.unhcr.org/4d3ecc8a9.html">completed the initial stage of setting up a camp in eastern Liberia to shelter people fleeing violence and political uncertainty in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire, saying the construction of the settlement's main reception centre is under way.
The 80-hectare camp being built in an area called Bahn will have 14 shelters with the capacity to hold 500 refugees, according to Andrej Mahecic, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.
Facilities will include latrines, showers, security posts, registration and distribution sites, kitchens, a canteen, a warehouse, a medical screening clinic, water wells and offices. The agency has contracted local builders to help construct the facilities in the camp.
Mr. Mahecic said that UNHCR estimates that there are now more than 30,000 Ivorian refugees in Liberia. Many of them have crossed into Liberia through the forests avoiding busy roads and official border crossings.
The refugees are being hosted in more than 20 villages scattered around the town of Saclepea in eastern Liberia's Nimba County. Liberian hosts have been sharing their homes and social amenities, including schools and health centres with the refugees. Many Liberians were themselves refugees in Côte d'Ivoire during their country's civil wars in the 1990s.
UNHCR has also started distributions of food and relief items to the refugees in the host communities, but deliveries are being hindered by the rainfall which has made already bad roads impassable.
Political tension has gripped Côte d'Ivoire following outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to step down despite the internationally-recognized electoral victory of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara.
Jan 25 2011 2:10PM
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