Are international aid organizations still operating in Liberia?
Most of the aid organizations had left. The smaller ones had certainly. But there were some really hard-core individuals still there trying to help. Doctors Without Borders, MERLIN (Medical Emergency Relief International), and the International Committee for the Red Cross were still operating. The Liberians we spoke to were saying on a daily basis, “We want the international community to become involved. We can’t solve this on our own.” They also said, if [Liberian President Charles] Taylor steps down before international peacekeepers arrive, the situation will be chaotic and the rebels will launch a major offensive and try to take the city. For the last four days Monrovia has not had a water supply. They need help with water, food, sanitation, really with everything. Monrovia has essentially ground to a halt. There are no public services whatsoever except for [a] few medical facilities run by the Red Cross and Doctors Without Boarders. The government is, in effect, not a government at
