Rome (Fides Service)- A three-year programme to help the return to Liberia of about 340,000 refugees, who fled the country because of 14 years of civil war, starts on Friday 1 October. This is the largest such programme undertaken by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in west Africa. In a statement sent to Fides UNHCR says it signed three different agreements with the governments of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast defining the legal operative details of the operation. On 22 September a similar agreement was signed for the repatriation of refugees from Ghana.
Repatriation starts after 2 weeks ago the government of Liberia said that 4 of the country’s 15 counties in west and n. eastern Liberia, were safe. Main elements to ensure a safe return are total completion of disarmament programmes, presence of civil authorities, satisfactory spontaneous returns, and process to restore basic services and unconditioned access for humanitarian workers. At present UNHCR is assisting repatriation only to safe areas of Liberia. Information campaigns in hosting countries help refugees make an informed decision with regard their return to urban or rural areas.
The first convoy was scheduled to leave eastern Sierra Leone from camps at Gondama and Tobanda for a journey of 228 km, which will last for three days because of poor roads and reach Bo Waterside on 1 October, in western Liberia. On Friday October 1 a plane with 100 refugees will depart from Accra, in Ghana, directed to the Liberian capital Monrovia. Convoys from Guinea are expected to arrive on October 4
On reaching Liberia, before going to their villages, returnees spend a couple of nights at transit centres where they are given hot food, medical assistance and information on HIV/AIDS. They also receive a repatriation package of food rations for four months supplied by the UN World Food Programme, plastic sheeting, kit to repair or rebuild shelters, water containers, kitchen utensils, blankets, soap, water, buckets and personal hygiene. Peopel returning to rural receive farming tools and seeds.
During the war Liberia suffered serious damage and UNHCR is helping to rebuild basic services, schools, roads, water systems, and drains. For repatriation operations to succeed funds are necessary. Once the operation is in full swing people will be repatriated by land, sea and air. UNHCR expects some 100,000 refugees including ‘spontaneous’ and assisted returnees to Liberia. So far 50,000 have returned some having recourse to insecure means. Assisted repatriation organised by UNHCR is operated in a dignified and secure manner.
In December 2003, there were about 340,000 Liberian refugees in the area, 149,000 in Guinea, 74,000 in Ivory Coast, 67,000 in Sierra Leone, 42,000 in Ghana, 6,000 in Nigeria, 750 in Gambia and 1,150 in other countries including Senegal and Mali, as well as 500,000 internally displaced persons in Liberia. UNHCR plans to repatriate as follows: 100,000 in 2004, 154,000 in 2005 and 65,000 in 2006. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/9/2004 righe 49 parole 647)