Over 7,200 flee latest fighting

An estimated 7,289 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in central Liberia have left their camps in Bellefanai, Bong County, following fighting between armed dissidents and government troops, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Activities (OCHA), reported on Wednesday.

The IDPs have sought refuge in Weinsu, 15 km south of Gbarnga, OCHA said in its situation report for 17-23 April. Gbarnga is the main town in Bong, the county that adjoins Lofa where the bulk of the fighting between pro-government troops and dissidents has been going on.

It was not clear how many people were wounded or died in the 19 April fighting. The report noted that the minister of defence had said military operations were still going on.

Liberian officials told IRIN recently the rebels had adopted "a hit and run" strategy.

OCHA said conditions in Weinsu were unsuitable and clearance was being sought to move the IDPs to CARI and the TV Tower, camps also located in Bong. Some people had started arriving in these camps and they were being counted by WFP, LRRRC - the state body responsible for IDPs and NGOs. Over 3,600 new IDPs have so far been registered in the camps, according to the OCHA report.

Action Contre la Faim was giving milk to children in the displaced camps while WHO was conducting a campaign to vaccinate them against yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus, measles and polio, OCHA reported. It said WHO had trained 80 people in disease surveillance and other agencies had been providing basic necessities such as food, health care and emergency education.