Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Fast Facts - Liberia

Key statistics

Since 2003, Liberia has been making progress in recovering from the brutal civil war that killed 250,000 people, internally displaced 464,000 and forced another 350,000 to seek refuge in neighboring countries. High numbers of women and girls suffered sexual abuse, rape and forced and early marriage.

In 2005, the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first elected African female President, marked a turnaround in the country’s history, opening a new chapter of steady economic recovery that has allowed it to move from an emergency and to development stage in a relatively short timeframe.

Another major step towards rebuilding and restoring peace has been the demobilization and disarmament of more than 100,000 ex-combatants, including 90,000 who have been reintegrated into communities.

Despite this encouraging trend, human rights violations persist, along with a wide range of gender-based inequalities and abuses. Moreover, women are significantly under-represented in state institutions across the board, and have less access than men to resources and services in general.

Key issues

While significant progress has been made by the government on many fronts, especially in terms of leveraging external political will and harnessing donor funds towards rebuilding the country, much work remains to be done to reduce poverty and restore good governance and the rule of law.

Liberia’s protracted conflict left more than half of the population living on less than USD $1 a day. Rebuilding livelihoods and reviving local economies, including agriculture and small businesses, remains a critical objective of the nation’s poverty reduction strategy.
 
Overcoming a major gap in human resources is another major challenge facing Liberia’s legal and security sectors. Among the casualties of war were lawyers, judges, police officers and others qualified to serve in the public and private sectors.  

Restoring public trust in security and justice institutions remains a priority. Access to justice for women, especially in rural areas, continues to be a challenge and very few cases of sexual abuse reach the courts due to social pressure and financial obstacles.

UNDP in Action

• Helped establish emergency facilities to support the return of over 100 qualified, expatriate Liberians to key civil service and political functions;
  
  
• Helped rebuild local institutions, infrastructure and basic services for the return of thousands of displaced persons and refugees to their communities. Local-level government actors and civil servants received training for the coordination and implementation of recovery activities; local populations were engaged in employment schemes to rebuild war-ravaged roads and public facilities; and community-based mechanisms were created to facilitate the peaceful management of disputes;
  
  
• In collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development Fund, helped women access micro-credit opportunities to start their own businesses;
  
  
• Supported the government in demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants, allowing them to participate in national recovery efforts;
  
  
• Supported the establishment of a national small arms commission, facilitated awareness-raising activities on the danger of small arms,  and supported small initiatives in three border counties to reduce the number of small arms in communities;
  
  
• Financed local civil society organizations to raise awareness about the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission among the population and to encourage participation of female witnesses. This initiative helped 217 women share their testimony with the Commission, which constitutes close to 40 percent of total witnesses; and
  
  
• Provides assistance to the Ministry of Justice in the establishment of a prosecutorial unit for gender-based violence cases in and outside the capital, Monrovia. County Attorneys and support staff are receiving training in legal processes and case management. Outreach to communities is taking place to ensure widespread awareness and access to legal support for victims seeking justice.