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Archive for the ‘Liberia’ Category

Education and Displacement: Assessing Conditions for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Affected by Conflict

April 3, 2011 Comments off

Education and Displacement: Assessing Conditions for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Affected by Conflict
Source: Brookings Instituion

Conflicts force people to leave their homes. Indeed, one of the measures of the severity of a conflict – in addition to casualties and duration – is the extent to which people have been displaced from their communities. In a recent survey by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of 8 conflict-affected countries, 56 percent of people affected by conflict had been displaced and in some conflicts the percentages were far higher, nearly 80 percent in Afghanistan and nearly 90 percent in Liberia. In fact when people living in countries with conflict were asked about their greatest fears, fear of displacement was among their top three concerns – after losing a loved one and economic hardship – but above death, physical injury and sexual and gender-based violence.

+ Full Report (PDF)

Categories: Afghanistan, Brookings Institution, health and health care, human rights, international, international relations, Liberia, safety

Liberia: Country Specific Information

March 6, 2011 Comments off

Liberia: Country Specific Information
Source: U.S. Department of State

Liberia is a country in West Africa that suffered from years of instability and conflict from 1990-2003, with attendant destruction of buildings, roads, infrastructure, and public institutions. A comprehensive peace accord ended the conflict in August 2003 and a United Nations peacekeeping force (UNMIL) was deployed to facilitate disarmament and demobilization, help arrange democratic elections, and provide for security of the country. In late 2005, Liberians went to the polls and elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president. The new government was inaugurated in January 2006, and has made progress towards restoring security and stability to the country. Elections are currently scheduled for October-November 2011.

Despite seven years of peace and a renewal of economic growth, Liberia is still one of the poorest countries in the world and many basic services (e.g., public power, water and sewage, landline phones) are either limited or unavailable. Facilities for foreign visitors are adequate in the capital, Monrovia, but virtually non-existent in the rest of the country. The official language of Liberia is English.

Categories: international relations, Liberia, poverty, social and cultural issues, transportation and travel, U.S. Department of State
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