Liberia - Emergency Assistance for the Humanitarian Relief at the Liberia-Cote d’Ivoire Border

The present project for Bank emergency assistance to Liberia is a direct response to the United Nations Appeal of 15 January 2011. The project also responds to a request for humanitarian assistance by the Government of Liberia (GoL) to the African Development Bank of 21 March 2011. The purpose is to provide a direct and immediate response to the humanitarian crisis in support of on-going efforts by the GoL and the international community. It is justified because of the risk of further deterioration of the humanitarian situation along the Liberia-Cote d’Ivoire border. The sheer number of refugees arriving in Liberia’s border areas with Cote d’Ivoire cannot be absorbed by local communities, the latter of which already have very little to survive on. The international humanitarian community is expecting a total of 150,000 refugees by the end of June 2011 in need for emergency assistance. Critical needs include food, health care services, shelter, registration, water and sanitation/hygiene, as the refugee influx is putting a massive burden on the already depleted facilities and services along the border. The Bank’s emergency operation will focus on the following two main areas to ensure a maximum humanitarian impact for refugees and host communities: (i) spot improvements/repairs of log bridges, which is paramount to allow for the transport of emergency assistance (not only from the Bank but also from other agencies) to the remote areas in Liberia’s east where the refugee camps and host communities are located, in particular in view of the imminent rainy season; and (ii) meeting basic humanitarian requirements, including shelter, health care, child nutrition and immunization, and water and sanitation. The total cost of this emergency assistance project is estimated at US$ 630,000. The total duration will not exceed six (6) months.