English/Nat Liberians isolated in the countryside for months by rebel fighting are coming out of the bush to get emergency famine relief. The United Nations and relief agencies delivered tons of food to the rural region north of the capital, Monrovia, but efforts to reach some of the starving continue to be thwarted due to rival rebel factions. Reports from the West African country indicate the August cease-fire is shaky at the best. Emaciated and frightened these children huddle in Tubmanburg, in western Liberia. Most have hidden with their families in the bush for seven months after being caught in the crossfire between rival rebel groups. Hundreds of children are barely living skeletons, many appear near death. The United Nations and relief agencies reached Tubmanburg, 50 miles north of Monrovia, on Saturday for the first time since February. They found crowds of people dressed in rags and adults holding scrawny children. While they were exhausted from months of foraging for food in the woods, most of the adults did not appear to be in danger of starvation. Virtually all the children and elderly are suffering from some degree of malnutrition and estimated 60 percent of the children are severely malnourished. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Many of the children are malnourished, they are dying. And the elderly are dying and are greatly in need of food, we are lacking food. (Q: Why haven't they come out of the bush before?) Many are afraid, afraid to come out because of the fighting that's been going on." SUPER CAPTION: Varney Quaye More than 150,000 people have died since the civil war began in 1989. In that time, a new generation has grown up only knowing war. This boy says he's a fighter and will fight on in the rebellion. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Q: Did you ever kill anyone? A: Yes, lots of people. Q: How many people? A: Lots of people Q: Why are you fighting? A: Because it's a revolution." SUPER CAPTION: Alfonso Pah, young fighter A cease-fire verification mission to the southeastern port of Greenville was called off Wednesday because of disagreements between two rebel groups, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia and the Liberian Peace Council. On the road to Tubmanburg, people began emerging from the bush when they learned U-N relief trucks had arrived. They surrounded the trucks and when bags of bulgur wheat were opened, they grabbed handfuls of uncooked wheat and cramming it into their mouths. The August cease-fire signed by Liberia's warlords cleared the way for aid agencies to venture out of the capital. The cease-fire calls for immediate disarmament and elections by May 1997. More than a dozen previous cease-fires have collapsed because of fighting among faction leaders. Relief workers plan to continue food relief for as long as the fragile peace holds. Top of their fears at the moment is how they are going to reach the starving in other areas cut off by the civil war. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/813de71335ee4524f31618ff7b4cf765 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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