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

 Fact Sheet # 10                          April 24, 1996 1700 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.

The fighting came in the wake of scattered skirmishes that
followed the signing of the Abuja Accord, a comprehensive peace
agreement among 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. 

As a result of a cease-fire agreement brokered April 19 by the
Ghanaian envoy Captain Kojo Tshikata, troops from the Economic
Community of West African States' Military Observer Group
(ECOMOG) have begun to re-deploy throughout Monrovia.  Although
the city seems to be calmer, sporadic looting and gunfire
continue. Since April 20 over 200 foreign national hostages have
been released from the Barclay Training Center (BTC), where
approximately 15,000 - 20,000 people have taken refuge since
April 6.  The BTC houses armed members of ULIMO-Krahn, and the
Armed Forces of Liberia, a contending faction, in addition to
Nigerian, Ghanaian,Sierra Leonian, and Liberian hostages.  All
are besieged by NPFL fighters.  

A White House press statement issued April 22 urged the faction
leaders to implement an effective cease-fire,end the siege at the
BTC, allow the free flow of humanitarian assistance, and abide by
the principles of the Abuja Accord.  The U.S. diplomatic team led
by Ambassador William Twaddell arrived in Monrovia on April 22
and is conducting ongoing discussions.  The team is discussing
additional assistance to ECOMOG, such as equipment and training,
if ECOMOG can demonstrate a renewed capacity to play a neutral
and effective role.

Current Humanitarian Situation:  The fighting has displaced at
least 80,000 people, with 7,000 - 15,000 seeking shelter in the
Greystone compound of the U.S. Embassy.  USAID/BHR/OFDA's
Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) reported that a total of
4,671 displaced were treated at Greystone by the Liberian Red
Cross from April 8 - 19.  Of those, approximately 1,000 were
treated for bullet wounds and almost 50 were treated for severe
diarrhea.  Between April 8 - 16, 12 deaths were reported and the
number of cases of severe diarrhea declined.  Poor overall water
quality, inadequate sanitation, and lack of medicines continue to
present the most serious problems.  The DART provided the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with shovels to
assist in burial of the dead.  

The U.S. Embassy and World Food Program (WFP) have delivered a
total of more than 391 metric tons (MT) of food in and around
Monrovia since April 10.  WFP, along with the Liberian Ministry
of Health and local Liberian non-government organizations (NGOs),
has divided Monrovia into zones of responsibility for food
distribution.  On April 19, almost 800 kilograms of bulgur wheat
was looted from a WFP warehouse at the port.  Port security
prevented a second attempted theft on April 20.  

Three Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)/Belgium staff, two ICRC
staff members, and two World Vision Relief and Development staff
members have returned to Monrovia and are assessing conditions in
Monrovia and providing assistance when possible.  On April 22,
the DART held an NGO coordination meeting with the World Health
Organization (WHO), MSF/Belgium, ICRC, and local Liberian NGOs. 
The next NGO meeting is scheduled for April 25.  On April 24, the
DART met with the leaders of the UN agencies represented in
Liberia to coordinate food distribution and also met with the
Liberian Ministry of Health. Hospitals in Monrovia report a
critical shortgage of supplies and medicines.  For the period of
April 8 - 18, the health clinic inside the BTC reported a total
of 450 wounded, with 175 casualties and a total of 350 cases of
acute diarrhea, with 70 deaths.

U.S. Government (USG) FY 1996 Humanitarian Assistance:  
Total OFDA Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,788,657
Other USG Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$61,347,425

TOTAL USG FY 1996 Humanitarian Assistance  (to date) .$65,136,082