Nigerian Red Cross assisting 186 Liberian asylum seekers after 25-day sea odyssey
26 June 2001

Nigerian Red Cross volunteers today provided emergency first aid to 186 Liberian asylum seekers who were given permission to disembark from a ship on which they endured a sea voyage of 25 days without adequate food and water. The Liberians are now on their way with Red Cross volunteers to a refugee camp in Oru, Ogun State, 150 kms from Lagos.

The Swedish-registered Alnar Stockholm was carrying 186 Liberians who had been refused permission to disembark at a number of west African ports before the Nigerian Government intervened and they were allowed to disembark this morning in Lagos.

"They were relieved to get off the ship. We treated 12 of them, mainly for malaria and diarrhoea but none required hospitalisation. Most needed food and water. We have made arrangements for all of them to be received at the camp and are working closely with UNHCR who provided us with the medicines," said the Secretary General of the Nigerian Red Cross, Mr. Samuel Orebiyi.

The group comprises 80 women, 36 children and 70 men, reportedly escaping from fighting in Liberia.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Geneva
Denis McClean, Head of Media Service, Tel.: +41 22 730 4428/ + 41 79 217 3357
Christopher Black, Information Officer Tel: +41 22 730 4377 / +41 79 308 9811
Duty phone +41 79 416 3881

Lagos
Patrick Bawa, Information Officer Tel +23 41 2695228

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.