Humanitarian sources described the situation in Freetown today as “grim” following “massive” human rights abuses suffered by the city’s population. The bodies of about 2,200 civilians killed in the conflict were brought to a single mortuary between Thursday and Monday alone, indicating that this was merely the “tip of the iceberg,” an OCHA official told IRIN. Innumerable women were raped and at least 300 people were victims of amputations and other atrocities “as the rebels unleashed their fury in the east”, he said. The situation in Freetown remained “extremely volatile”, and residents were tense and nervous, particularly after recent RUF warnings of a planned new attack on the city, he added.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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