Liberian refugees stranded at sea return home by air, UN says

More than 300 Liberian refugees who were stranded at sea during attempts to repatriate have arrived in Monrovia aboard a plane chartered by the United Nations and a partner agency.

A two-day airlift on Wednesday and Thursday, in a DC-9 plane chartered by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration, flew 319 refugees in four flights from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to Monrovia, UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis said today in Geneva.

In making the announcement, Ms. Pagonis again appealed to Liberian refugees in West African countries not to rush home but to wait for the UNHCR-organized repatriation, scheduled to start in October if conditions stabilize.

At Monrovia airport, the refugees were welcomed by UNHCR and its Liberian counterpart. After being registered and given medical and immigration checks, they were then transported into the capital.

The plight of these refugees began in early May when they paid $150 each to board a ship whose engine later broke down. They spent 18 days on the Atlantic Ocean, before a French vessel towed them to Abidjan.