Harper, Maryland County-Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) Executive Director has disclosed that the agency main partner the UNICEF is expected to withdraw her support for refugee activities in Liberia by 2017.
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica in the Little Wlebo Refugee Camp in Harper Maryland County on June 20, at program marking the official celebration of World Refugee Day, Cllr. Abla Gbelagbaku William said by 2017 the Government of Liberia is expected to take full responsibility for refugee residing in Liberia due to budget constraints the partner (UNICEF) is faced with.
UNICEF over the years assisted the Government of Liberia to share the burden by providing protection for refugees in term of shelter, clothing, food and nonfood items, water, medical, sanitation, and ensuring that refugees live in Liberia and their rights are respected.
June 20, each year is a day where refugee inform government, citizens, friends, and well-wishers that they are humans and as such they deserve rights and the host communities should protect them.
LRRRC Executive Director also said, June 20, is a day where they can tell the refugees that they are committed to them as a Government , to stand by them, stand with them, in their plight, suffering, when so many of them had to flee their country because of war to seek refuge in Liberia.
The 2016 world refugee day was celebrated under the theme “STAND TOGETHER WITH REFUGEES”.
For her part, Superintendent of Maryland County and Keynote speaker Hon. Betsy Kuoh Toe however said the local authority will continue to work with refugees in the county as there has been cordial working relationship between the refugees, local authority and the host communities adding that the county authority will stand with refugees, work with refugees, protect refugees until they are repatriated.
The Maryland county superintendent is also calling on Liberians to stop discrimination against refugees a situation she said can come to anyone.
She maintained that if people observe these things and put those into practice where they live with refugees it will make them feel at home.