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USAID Information:
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Liberia
The Development Challenge: Except for the two years from 1997 to 1999, Liberia was in a constant state of conflict from 1989 until the Accra Peace Accords were signed on August 18, 2003. Over 250,000 people, most of them civilian non-combatants, have lost their lives in the civil war. More than 1.3 million have been displaced, including hundreds of thousands who fled the country. Abductions, torture, rape and other human rights abuses have taken place on a massive scale. It is estimated that at least one in ten children may have been recruited into militias at one time or another. A similar percentage has been traumatized by seeing their families and friends murdered and raped.
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The United Nations estimates that over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. Thirty-five percent are undernourished. Less than ten percent of arable land is cultivated. Only 28% of the population is immunized, only 25% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and just 36% has access to proper sanitation facilities. The number of health workers has decreased by 40% since 1990, and most of the health infrastructure has been destroyed. Approximately 80% of the population is illiterate.
As a result of the Accra Peace Accords, Charles Taylor abdicated his presidency and a National Transition Government of Liberia (NTGL), composed of the warring factions, civil society and political parties, assumed power on October 15, 2003. The NTGL has a two-year mandate in which to implement the Peace Accords and prepare Liberia for free and fair elections. On September 19, 2003, the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1509, established the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in Liberia, thus beginning an important new phase in Liberian history. However, failure to establish the building blocks of a new Liberia and consolidate peace could jeopardize the fragile security environment in neighboring countries and the entire sub-region.
The USAID Program: During the Charles Taylor regime, USAID resources were directed solely to supporting civil society organizations, particularly for primary health care, agriculture, and peace-building. Work in rural areas was drastically curtailed in April 2003, when the warring factions began their serious campaign to oust Charles Taylor. Thus, the USAID program was inactive for much of FY 2003. As the fighting neared Monrovia in May and June, most of the international community evacuated, including USAID-financed NGOs. During this period, Monrovia experienced a serious humanitarian crisis, as thousands of people took control of housing and business compounds, schools, hospitals, and public buildings to seek refuge from the violence.
With the advent of peace, USAID is well placed to modify its existing limited program to fit the new realities of Liberia. To support the Peace Accord, USAID/Liberia has also begun planning for an expanded program, which will utilize some of the $200 million allocated for Liberia in the International Disaster and Famine Assistance (IDFA) account from the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense and the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Primary Health: Resources are in place to provide primary health care to 500,000 people in 450 communities in Bong, Nimba and Montserrado counties, as soon as the security situation permits. Working with a three-organization consortium headed by Africare, USAID is funding the $7.5 million five-year Improved Community Health Project, which began in July 2003. The program will: (1) deliver primary health care services in the target areas; (2) build the institutional capacity of Liberian NGOs to deliver primary health care services; and (3) address primary health care policy issues with the NTGL.
Agriculture and Economic Livelihood: Several of the older USAID-financed agricultural programs ended in FY 2003. Others had their activities stalled by the fighting and violence. However, activities did continue under the Community Peace Building and Development Program (CPBD), implemented through the Academy for Educational Development and Mercy Corps. Working in 38 communities, CPBD has begun to develop models for economic sustainability in communities. This includes promotion of best practices for crop production, storage, food processing and marketing. CPBD has also begun to assist 450 vegetable growers in 15 communities. As the security situation improves, CPBD will expand to other areas and has targeted over 150 additional communities in the next year.
Peace Building: The $12 million, five-year CPBD is currently the flagship for USAID's peace-building activities. Program activities focus on developing the institutional capacity of Liberian NGOs and communities to be more effective and sustainable. The program also trains local leaders in governance skills and participatory planning for development and conflict resolution. The program places emphasis on developing leadership skills among women and young people. A vital part of CPBD is the Community Communications Unit, which manages a series of activities to strengthen information and community communications systems and helps communities access, utilize and contribute to these systems. The Unit plans to help establish 20 licensed community radio stations, develop rural production centers, and provide extensive training of production staff. The Unit also supports the production and dissemination of radio and media programs on health, civic education and human rights, agriculture, and peace and reconciliation. In addition, the International Foundation for Election Systems is helping the independent radio station, Radio Veritas, to provide programming, and is assisting the Press Union of Liberia to operationalize the free press of Liberia and provide printing services to the local media.
Supporting the Peace Process: Allocation of the full $200 million supplemental appropriation for Liberia has not yet been finalized. However, a significant portion of the funds may be channeled through USAID. Program revisions will be made once allocations are determined and approvals are granted. In preparation, USAID has conducted an assessment of the needs of child soldiers and women combatants and is in a position to address these needs. In addition, USAID has begun the procurement process for a labor-intensive public works program to provide education, skills and employment to ex-combatants and other war affected groups.
Other Program Elements: USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the Office of Food for Peace (FFP) have implemented important humanitarian assistance programs. OFDA provided more than $5.5 million in FY 2003 to address humanitarian food, shelter and health concerns, and to support United Nations Agencies. FFP contributed 43.8 thousand metric tons of PL 480, Title II Emergency Food assistance, valued at over $28 million. These food resources are supporting emergency school feeding for children; targeted programs for refugees, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups; and food for work programs.
A three-year, $1.5 million program to assist vulnerable children was recently started with funding from the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund. War Victims Funds are being used to assist disabled children. The West Africa Regional Program has provided funding for a small HIV/AIDS information program.
Other Donors: The number of donors in Liberia is limited. Currently the United Nations is the largest entity funding relief, rehabilitation and development activities, although it is not strictly classified as a donor. The United States is the second largest donor followed by the European Union. The Scandinavian countries have much smaller budgets but are significant players in the relief sector. The People's Republic of China has recently begun programs in Liberia. The Catholic Church and other religious organizations are also major local donors.
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