-Victims Appeal for Assistance
By Jessica Cox
Monrovia, Liberia – Some residents of the SKD Sports Complex community are facing severe hardship after government bulldozers demolished their homes last week to make way for a new logistics hub. The abrupt eviction has left dozens of families homeless, with many now sheltering in temporary accommodations while pleading for humanitarian assistance.
Mamie Saahbobo, a widow and mother of five, recounted how she had legally occupied her home for a decade under an agreement with previous government administrations. “They promised to notify us before any demolition,” she explained, her voice trembling. “Instead, we woke at 6 AM to armed officers and bulldozers. We lost everything – clothes, school materials, even our food supplies.”
The community received only a 72-hour eviction notice before the Ministry of Public Works carried out the demolition on [specific date]. Christopher B. Boakai Sr., a father of two now staying with friends, showed reporters his permanent residency permit for the same property. “This document meant nothing when the machines came,” he said, holding up the faded paperwork.
The demolition has created immediate public health risks, with the destruction of the community’s only public latrine. Youth Chairperson Emmerson Jacobs warned of impending disease outbreaks, particularly as Liberia enters peak rainy season. “We’re already seeing increased open defecation near living areas,” Jacobs reported. “Without urgent intervention, cholera becomes inevitable.”
While the public hand pump remains functional for now, residents fear its impending removal. Community leaders have proposed donating land for new sanitation facilities if the government provides construction support.
Affected residents emphasize they don’t oppose national development projects but criticize the implementation’s human cost. “We’re patriots,” Jacobs stressed. “But development shouldn’t mean leaving children to sleep in warehouses or destroying the only playground our youth had.”
The community has formally petitioned the Ministry of Public Works, requesting: Temporary housing assistance, Reconstruction of sanitation facilities, Compensation for lost property and Designated relocation areas.
