Hungry Civilians Flee Liberia's Interior

[DuctapeFatwa]

Civilians fleeing by the thousands cried out for rescue Wednesday, as a first trip into Liberia's countryside showed the war-ruined nation's nightmare is far from over.

Families streaming from the north clutched bone-thin babies and spoke of starvation and near-nightly gunfire and mortars, despite a week-old peace deal.

"Our children are dying. We're dropping them on the road," shouted 42-year-old Fatu Leonfay, who appealed for help from West African peacekeepers. "If they don't come, we'll die."

Emaciated women around her cradled naked children, their bellies bloated by malnutrition.

The U.N. Security Council has authorized a U.N. force to follow the West Africans, with the world body's envoy for Liberia, Jacques Klein, calling for 15,000 troops.

But Tawiah indicated there still would be some time before peace forces are ready to move into the interior.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030827_1366.html

Comment: The US Marines retreated to their ships as soon as fighting resumed, where they are in a much better position to protect oil facilities in the Gulf of Guinea.