U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
                                    
                 BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
            OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
                                    
                       LIBERIA - Complex Emergency

Fact Sheet #1  .                      April 11, 1996 2000 EDT


Background:  On April 6, 1996, fighting in Monrovia erupted
between two armed factions, Charles Taylor's National Patriotic
Front of Liberia (NPFL), and Roosevelt Johnson's wing of the
United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia
(ULIMO-Krahn).  Other Krahn factions subsequently joined Johnson. 
Confined so far to the capital, the fighting comes in the wake of
scattered skirmishes that followed the Abuja Accord, a
comprehensive peace agreement signed by leaders of the main
warring factions in Liberia on August 19, 1995. The accord came
after nearly six years of civil war, in which more than 150,000
Liberians died, about 725,000 fled the country as refugees, and
800,000 became internally displaced.

In five days of fighting,  the NPFL and ULIMO-Krahn have looted
and burned the city area by area.  No regular air travel is
possible in or out of Monrovia.  Many residents have fled the
city.  All United Nations (UN) agencies, international
organizations (IO), and nongovernmental organizations (NGO)
compounds have been looted.  There are no reliable estimates
available of casualties.  U.S. military helicopters evacuated 500
- 600 Americans and foreigners since April 10. 

Current Humanitarian Situation:  With most humanitarian
operations having ceased in Monrovia, a crisis looms.  The
fighting has displaced at least 100,000 people.  

The main concern centers on the diminishing supply of food and
water for embassy personnel and  10,000 - 20,000 civilians who
have taken refuge in the Greystone compound of the U.S. Embassy. 
Although Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) delivered a truckload of
water several days ago, none has reached the Greystone compound
since then.  The compound occupants would require 220 MT of mixed
commodities to stay fed for one month.  Commodities are available
from the World Food Program (WFP), but fighting has prevented
delivery.  Approximately 45,000 civilians and members of the
Armed Forces of Liberia, an armed faction, are in the U.S.
Barclay compound.  The presence of the armed fighters in the
compound renders illegal the delivery of FFP Title II food
commodities.  As of April 10, food commodities in warehouses were
reportedly untouched, although tools from a Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) warehouse were looted..

NGO Reports:  CRS has four expatriates, including one American,
in Monrovia. One is in the UN compound and the location of the
other three is unknown.  Five CRS vehicles were stolen.

Save the Children, UK (SCF/UK) evacuated four of its seven
expatriates working in Liberia.   With MSF  SCF/UK  is providing 
medicines to a hospital run by the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC).  Regular SCF/UK programs in Liberia are
suspended.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reports that 19 of their staff of
35 have been evacuated.  MSF is caring for the wounded at the
ICRC building and compound, and is providing food for 150 people
there. 

World Vision has five expatriates, including an American, in
Liberia.  None can reach the U.S. Embassy for evacuation and they
are running low on food and water. 

The headquarters of the Salesian Missions has heard nothing from
their expatriate staff in Liberia, where two Americans work with
British staff.  

The country director of Lutheran World Relief was beaten by
Liberian armed men.  The organization compound was looted.

Action International Contre la Faim (AICF) has six expatriates in
their compound, who have requested refuge in the U.S. Embassy
compound.

The country director of Africaire is in his apartment near the
U.S. Embassy, and does not plan to leave Liberia, the
organization reported.

U.S. Government (USG) Humanitarian Assistance FY 1996:  

Total OFDA Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,729,948
Total FFP Assistance: 116,260 MT valued at . . . . . .$61,281,400