Liberia: UN prepares rescue ship for second evacuation run as more refugees converge on Monrovia

As the United Nations readies the rescue ship Overbeck for a second roundtrip voyage ferrying Sierra Leonean refugees from Monrovia home to Freetown, humanitarian workers are still struggling to help thousands of other desperate refugees and displaced people stranded in makeshift camps throughout the besieged Liberian capital.

According to a spokesman in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) national staff in Monrovia are still struggling to cope with thousands of people who have converged on the Liberian capital. "In addition to hundreds of refugees encamped around the UNHCR compound itself, our staff are visiting various groups of refugees scattered around Monrovia and surrounding areas," Kris Janowski said today.

Meanwhile, UNHCR staff are making preparations for the second voyage of the rescue ship the MV Overbeck, which arrived in Monrovia from Freetown early this morning and is now waiting to dock. Some 366 Sierra Leonean refugees have registered for the second emergency evacuation to Freetown. The ship should set sail again this afternoon for Freetown, where it is expected to arrive on Thursday.

The first voyage brought 300 refugees home to Sierra Leone on Sunday. The majority of those on today's passenger manifest are from Samukai camp, one of the four Monrovia-area camps, the spokesman said. Samukai, with some 3,800 residents, was not affected by the recent fighting. However, many of the camp residents would still like to return home to Sierra Leone.

"Our remaining staff in Monrovia have been able to continue providing some humanitarian assistance to refugees in Samukai camp," Mr. Janowski said adding that the agency's local health partner, MERCY, has continued to provide round-the-clock health care there, and a food distribution is planned for later this week. In the nearby Banjor camp, relief assistance remains minimal. However, UNHCR has not been able to resume work in VOA camp at all.

Many refugees from the sprawling camp on the outskirts of the capital are still camped in city schools and other buildings. VOA camp itself remains deserted, although there are indications that small numbers of refugees have begun to return. "There are fears that distribution of aid to the small groups of refugees reportedly returning to VOA will be a magnet for militia groups," Mr. Janowski said.

In all, there were some 15,000 Sierra Leonean refugees in camps around Monrovia before the latest fighting started in early June.