Food shortages in the east

Bo and Kenema, the main towns in eastern Sierra Leone, are suffering food shortages, humanitarian sources told IRIN today. Although the security situation remains calm in Bo, there are nearly 6,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the north and east of the country living in makeshift camps, according to Syl Sannah, a spokesman for CARE International. In Kenema, food supplies are also running low, said Sannah. Shelter is an even bigger problem for the estimated 60,000 IDPs there, especially as the rainy season approaches, he added. Before the latest rebel attack just four km from Kenema on 11 March, medical supplies were being airlifted from Lunghi airport to Bo and then by road to Kenema. Since the attack, the airlifts have been suspended, Sannah said. Although the road between the two towns remains open, there is little traffic due to a shortage of fuel.