By Karen Fanning
 A young Liberian boy displaced by war carries goods given to him by the International Red Cross. The child is living in a soccer stadium in the capital city. (Photo: Georges Gobet, Agence France Presse) |
Years of civil war between rebel forces and government officials have left Monrovia without electricity and water. Squatters seek refuge from the violence in abandoned buildings throughout the city. A local high school is now home to 18,000 people. Even Monrovia's largest football stadium has been transformed into a refugee camp. The stadium now holds tens of thousands of Liberians fleeing the fighting that has taken nearly 250,000 lives.
Humanitarian aid workers report that several cases of cholera and diarrhea have turned deadly in the city. Struck by hunger pains, adults beg strangers for food and money, while their children cry out for help.
When a team of U.S. officials visited the John F. Kennedy Hospital on a recent trip to Monrovia, they found the once-prestigious facility in shambles. Wounded patients are forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor.
A day earlier, when U.S. officials took to the streets to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis in Monrovia, tens of thousands of Liberians welcomed them with cheers. As the American convoy drove through the city, residents celebrated, despite police forces that attempted to chase them away. Miserable conditions have empowered Liberians to speak out, hoping that American aid is on its way, said 41-year-old Sarah Hodge.
"Liberians are tired of war...tired of the killing, tired of the looting," she said. "They feel anything can happen. Let it happen."
