In a developing crisis in Lofa County, over eleven towns within the Bluyeamai Clan in the Zorzor Administrative District have been severed from the rest of the region due to severely damaged bridges and roads. The infrastructure breakdown has led to significant disruptions in transportation, healthcare, and access to essential services.
Speaking to Afrik TV News on Saturday, August 24, 2024, Clan Youth Leader Oscar Weafer highlighted the severe challenges confronting the community. “We are facing serious difficulties with movement and transporting our local products to the market,” Weafer stated. The damaged bridges, originally constructed by a logging company, have now collapsed, rendering travel perilous and transportation costs prohibitive.
“We are now paying one thousand Liberian dollars per person to travel from Bawalazu Town to Konia Town, instead of the usual five hundred,” Weafer lamented, indicating a significant increase in travel expenses. He noted that no vehicles are entering the region with goods, except for a few motorcyclists, who are also struggling due to the poor road conditions.
The situation is also impacting local healthcare services. William Kpawoui, the officer in charge of the area’s sole clinic, expressed grave concern about the consequences for medical emergencies, particularly for pregnant women. “When we try to contact the ambulance, there is no way it can reach us due to the damaged bridges and road,” Kpawoui said. He urged the Government of Liberia to address the issue urgently, emphasizing the compounded problem of inadequate communication due to a lack of GSM network coverage.
“It’s frustrating to walk for thirty to forty-five minutes just to make a call, only to hear the ambulance driver say, ‘I’m sorry, the car can’t come due to the road,'” Kpawoui added. The clinic is running low on essential medicines, further exacerbating the crisis. “We don’t have medicine in the clinic, and now our roads are cut off. Please, let the national government help us before more of our people die,” he pleaded.
The education sector is also affected. Harris Sumo, principal of the area’s only elementary school, reported that the poor road conditions are hindering parents from accessing markets to purchase uniforms and other necessary school materials. “We currently have only forty students registered for the 2024/2025 school year due to this issue,” Sumo said. He also noted that the school is struggling to obtain essential stationery, further impeding its operations.
The Bluyeamai Clan, which comprises twelve towns, now faces isolation for eleven of them due to the damaged infrastructure. Residents are calling on the Government of Liberia, particularly the Ministry of Public Works, to take immediate action to restore the roads and bridges, alleviate the severe disruptions, and prevent further hardship in the region.
