Up to 150,000 displaced in Freetown

There are up to 150,000 internally-displaced persons in Freetown, but only 70,000 vulnerable people are currently accessible, the OCHA official said. The largest concentration is at the central stadium, which now shelters between 20,000 and 40,000 people. “We are hoping cholera will not be an issue,” the official said, adding that a hygiene-awareness programme had been set up there. During the day, the displaced leave the stadium to search for food. While many have received two-week relief food rations, these are not enough to cover their needs, he said, adding that distributions were targeting only vulnerable groups. Some looted food supplies had found their way into local commercial markets, which has contributed to lowering the prices of rice and bulgur to December 1998 levels, he added.