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A fragile stabilization

Founded in 1822 by newly freed black American slaves, Liberia was the first African state to obtain independence in 1847. Following the stability and prosperity of the 1960s Samuel Doe seized power and established a dictatorship in 1980. He was killed in 1990 by a rebel faction commanded by Prince Johnson, during the uprising led by Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).

Liberians lived under brutal conditions until 1997 when Charles Taylor won controversial elections. Liberation only really came in 2005, when there were democratic elections and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first female head of state on the African continent. Peace agreements signed in Accra in August 2003 and the arrival of United Nations peacekeeping forces (MINUL) have maintained a relative calm in Monrovia. But 14 years of civil war have left more than 200,000 dead, displaced more than 1.5 million and devastated the country’s infrastructure. Liberia remains a country to rebuild.

Those who have fled the fighting face a desperate situation: lack of water and food, inadequate or even non-existent sanitation, almost no medical care. To make matters worse, camps for the internally displaced have been targeted by fighting groups. The stabilization under Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf's presidency has allowed the international community to coordinate humanitarian assistance with the government. The objective is to strengthen the peace, facilitate the return of refugees and reduce poverty in a sustainable way.

But Liberia’s institutional capacity has been weakened and this is slowing down the reform process. Access to water and sanitation is in a critical state; only 32% of the population has access to drinking water and 22% to sanitation. There are frequent cholera outbreaks in densely populated communities.

SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL has been in Liberia since 2003, bringing relief to the most vulnerable populations by providing them with vital access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and improving food security.

Updated: July 2009