Highlights
On 21-22 May 2016, IOM participated in a meeting in Harper, Maryland County to discuss a forthcoming joint, cross-border project with Côte d’Ivoire. After reviewing respective assessments, stakeholders discussed priorities for the project that will address drivers of insecurity along the Liberia- Côte d’Ivoire border.
General Community Health Volunteers (gCHVs) are monitoring and reporting disease triggers in 2,917 communities. The number of verified disease triggers increased by 59% from the last month, demonstrating continuous improvements in the ability of gCHVs to recognize potential threats to public health.
Situation Overview
The WHO declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia on 9 June 2016. This announcement comes 42 days after the last confirmed Ebola patient tested negative for the disease for the second time. A 90-day period of heightened surveillance will follow. Across the border in Guinea, the end of Ebola was declared on 1 June 2016. IOM continues to support the Government of Liberia (GoL) in its surveillance efforts in the border counties, both in communities and at points of entry, to prevent possible cross-border transmission of the disease.
Despite the declaration of the end of the recent outbreak, the border with Côte d’Ivoire remains officially closed. Though the border remains closed, the UNHCR-led voluntary repatriation (VolRep) of refugees through designated humanitarian corridors continues. IOM supports the VolRep operation by assuring all refugees are screened at the border for priority diseases before they cross the border to Côte d’Ivoire.
Progress continues on the UNMIL drawdown and transition of full security responsibilities to the GoL. In May, UN peacekeeping troops withdrew from Margibi County, handing over facilities to the county’s authorities. In addition, UNMIL handed over full security responsibilities of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Vice President Joseph Boakai to the elite Executive Protection Service.
Liberia also marked an important milestone in May – the end of sanctions and arms embargo. On 25 May 2016, United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to lift the sanctions imposed on arms and the export of Liberian timber and rough diamonds.