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Sierra Leonean refugees returning home from Liberia – UN agency

Sierra Leonean refugees returning home from Liberia – UN agency

Sierra Leonean returnees unload luggage in Freetown
The United Nations refugee agency today reported the repatriation, from Liberia, of the first group of Sierra Leoneans to return to their home country since the signing of a truce in August between the Liberian Government and two rebel groups.

In a briefing to reporters in Geneva, Kris Janowski, a spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the agency had airlifted 10 Sierra Leonean families into the capital Freetown on Wednesday.

The returnees had been living in camps around the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Arriving at the airport in Freetown, they were briefed by UNHCR and its government counterpart, the National Commission for Social Action, on what to do for the rest of their journey home. Experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Save the Children were also present to provide assistance like food and water, Mr. Janowski said.

The returnees received a repatriation package with relief items, a transport allowance of about $9 and a four-month food ration before leaving for their home on convoys organized by UNHCR and its German partner agency, GTZ, Mr. Janowski said.

He said UNHCR is working with the World Food Programme (WFP) to organize twice-weekly flights for up to 40 Sierra Leonean refugees in Liberia per week.

According to UNHCR, there are still some 14,000 Sierra Leonean refugees living in Liberia's camps. Since 2001, close to 66,300 refugees have gone back to Sierra Leone from Liberia with UNHCR assistance. This year, despite the recurring fighting, the agency has helped more than 4,000 Sierra Leonean refugees to return home by sea and air, Mr. Janowski said.