Liberian refugees sickly and malnourished, says UNHCR

Guinea: Liberian refugees fleeing to Guinea are in extremely poor physical condition and up to 20 percent of them suffer from malnutrition, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees reported on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 4,600 Liberians have fled to Guinea to escape continued fighting between government and rebel forces in their country, the agency said. Each day 100 to 150 cross the closed border after walking for weeks, UNHCR added

"The refugees are arriving via three main entry points in the southwest and southeast of Guinea. Those in the worst physical shape made a detour via Tekoulo in Gueckedou, southwest Guinea, crossing the Lofan River border between the two countries. Many of them are survivors of the Voinjama attack last December and were barely able to find food during their flight", UNHCR spokesperson, Kris Janowski, said in Geneva.

The refugees coming from the Liberian capital, Monrovia, were however in better health. They fled after hearing that the rebels had circled the city and many brought most of their possessions, UNHCR said.

Some 73,000 Liberian refugees are now in Guinea, including about 27,000 in Kouankan and another camp - Kola, the UN refugee agency said, adding that Guinea also hosts an estimated 85,000 Sierra Leonean refugees, including some 50,000 in four UNHCR camps.