U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
                                    
                 BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
            OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
                                    
                       LIBERIA - Complex Emergency

 Fact Sheet # 5          New information is underlined           
April 17, 1996 1800 EDT


Background:  On April 6, 1996, fighting in Monrovia erupted
between two armed factions, Charles Taylor's National Patriotic
Front of Liberia (NPFL), and Roosevelt Johnson's wing of the
United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia
(ULIMO-Krahn).  Other Krahn factions subsequently joined Johnson. 
The fighting comes in the wake of scattered skirmishes that
followed the signing of the Abuja Accord, a comprehensive peace
agreement among leaders of the main warring factions in Liberia
on August 19, 1995.  The accord came after nearly six years of
civil war, in which more than 150,000 Liberians died, about
725,000 fled the country as refugees, and 800,000 became
internally displaced.

In eleven days of fighting, the NPFL and ULIMO-Krahn have looted
and burned the city.   Many residents have fled the city.  All
United Nations (U.N.) agencies, international organizations (IO),
and non-governmental organizations (NGO) compounds have been
looted.  There are no reliable estimates of casualties.  Since
April 14, an estimated 5,500 troops from the Economic Community
of West African States' Military Observer Group (ECOMOG)
tentatively resumed peacekeeping duties in parts of Monrovia,
including Bushrod Island.  Factional warfare has spread
upcountry, including Bong Mines and Greenville.  U.S. military
helicopters have evacuated over 2,000 Americans and foreigners
since April 10.  Remaining expatriates, including NGO staff
members, sheltered at the U.S. Embassy were evacuated April 16. 
Several hundred Liberian refugees recently arrived by sea in
neighboring countries.

Current Humanitarian Situation:  The fighting has displaced at
least 100,000 people, of which 7,000 - 10,000 have taken refuge
in the Greystone Compound of the the U.S. Embassy.  The U.S.
Embassy, in conjunction with the World Food Program (WFP), has
delivered a total of approximately 165 metric tons (MT) of food
since April 10 to the Greystone Compound, two hospitals, and
three displaced persons camps in and around Monrovia. Food
distribution is endangered by continued looting and insecurity. 
The most serious concerns identified by the U.S. Embassy include
lack of potable water sources,  lack of medicines and poor
sanitation at the Greystone compound.   Liberian Red Cross
workers have begun digging latrines at the compound and limited
potable water is available.  On April 16, an expatriate engineer
working with the U.S. Embassy determined that Monrovia's
water pumping and treatment facilities were still functioning
properly; however, Monrovia's ten water towers will need to be
supplied with chlorinated water.

USAID/BHR/OFDA has sent a two person Disaster Assistance Response
Team  (DART) to Monrovia to assess the humanitarian situation
within the Greystone compound, and security permitting, other
areas where the displaced have gathered.  The team members, who
will arrive the morning of April 18, were selected on the
basis of their expertise in public health, sanitation, and
logistics.

Looting could imperil the primary source of food supplies, which
are in World Food Program (WFP) and Catholic Relief Services
(CRS) warehouses in the port area of Monrovia.  WFP warehouses
currently contain 23,100 MT of food commodities, and CRS has
6,350 MT in its warehouse.  To date the warehouses remain
secure. 

In the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia, there are
approximately 45,000 civilians, armed members of ULIMO-Krahn, and
the Armed Forces of Liberia, a contending faction.  The persons
in the center include Lebanese civilians and ECOMOG personnel who
are reportedly held hostage by fighters.  All are besieged by
NPFL fighters.  The presence of the armed fighters in the
compound renders illegal the delivery of USAID/Food For Peace
(FFP) Title II food commodities.  Several deaths have been
attributed to diarrheal diseases.

U.S. Government (USG) FY 1996 Humanitarian Assistance:  
Total OFDA Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,729,948
Other USG Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$61,347,425

TOTAL  USG FY 1996 Humanitarian Assistance (to date)..$65,077,37