Acute water shortage

A severe water shortage has hit sections of the Liberian capital,
Monrovia, forcing people to go to other parts of the town to obtain water, according to local media and residents.

The areas worst hit include Clara Town and Doe Community on Bushrod Island, according to 'The Enquirer' newspaper.

The newspaper quoted local officials as saying that the week-long shortage occurred after a diesel pump used to pump water to storage tanks in Bushrod Island and other affected areas broke down and that it was being repaired.

Monrovia has been without a pipe-borne water service for about a decade. Most of its residents depend on EU-provided central storage areas and trucks that take water to some neighbourhoods, a capital resident told IRIN.

The resident also confirmed that the water shortage has led to an
accumulation of sewage in Monrovia's open-air drains and that some of it has seeped onto the streets, as reported by 'The Enquirer', which said there was a significant risk of diseases such as cholera and dysentery.

Water vendors have increased their prices from 5 Liberian dollars per five-litre container to $50 Liberian in Bushrod Island and $25 Liberian elsewhere in the town, 'The Enquirer' said.