From Grand Guedeh, Liberia, Caroline Gluck of Oxfam’s humanitarian team is seeing a daily influx of people fleeing violence and talking to refugees about the escalating humanitarian crisis.
From Grand Guedeh, Liberia, Caroline Gluck of Oxfam’s humanitarian team is seeing a daily influx of people fleeing violence and talking to refugees about the escalating humanitarian crisis.
“Fighting in Ivory Coast is showing no let up and the situation on the border is changing daily. We are seeing a constant stream of people fleeing for their lives into Liberia,” said Gluck. “They are in dire need of the very basics such as water, food and shelter.”
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| The situation in Ivory Coast has descended into a humanitarian disaster. Photo: Tineke D’Haese/Oxfam-Soildarité. |
More than 100,000 are now in Liberia according to UN agencies. This week alone more than 10,000 people have arrived in Grand Guedeh County in Liberia. Oxfam airlifted relief supplies for up to 70,000 people into Liberia and is installing clean water in camps along the border.
Caroline spoke to Gustave, 57, who was in Blolequin when fighting broke out. He arrived in Liberia seven days ago with his five children. It took them four days to walk to Liberia.
“We left because of the war. The fighting happened at three in the morning and we just ran when we heard the gunfire. You could hear loud booming noises that sounded like bombs…boom! We just ran for our lives when we heard that. I thought we would die. We ran outside the home. The only thing I took with me was a machete…I knew it would be hard to find work here but with that I could get work in the fields cutting the grass.
“We had great difficulty getting here. We had to walk for four days…there was no proper road just bush and I often had to carry my youngest son on my back. When we came here I met Liberians who shared food with us. People were so generous towards us. We’re staying now in Ponah village; there are 35 of us living in one house. If it doesn’t rain we sleep outside. If it rains we stay inside crouched on a mat, sitting upright…there is no room to lie down.”
