Cases of severe child malnutrition are rising in Liberia, as misinformation about infant feeding, healthcare costs and cuts to international aid put vulnerable babies at greater risk. In Grand Bassa County, the story of four-month-old Princess shows the devastating consequences when families lack access to accurate nutrition information and affordable treatment. King Brown reports in…
A New Narratives survey finds overwhelming support in Nimba County for establishing Liberia’s proposed War and Economic Crimes Court, with nine in ten respondents backing the court and warning lawmakers that their position could influence how they vote in future elections. Survivors and residents say the court is essential for justice and accountability for crimes…
A free mobile phone service is helping farmers in parts of rural Liberia check market prices before selling their crops, giving them greater bargaining power and helping some significantly increase their incomes. But with the service currently reaching only a small number of farmers in Grand Bassa and Rivercess Counties, questions remain about funding and…
By Augusta S. Lafalay, senior reporter with New Narratives Summary: • A nationwide Ebola preparedness assessment found Liberia 69 percent ready overall, while logistics scored only 47 percent, leaving major gaps in equipment, supplies, isolation facilities and training. • Frontline health workers say those logistics gaps can mean the difference between safely isolating a suspected…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Liberia’s Witness Protection Agency is proposing a five-year, US$20.54 million plan to build a nationwide system for protecting victims, witnesses and whistleblowers as the country moves toward establishing war crimes and anti-corruption courts that will significantly increase the number of witnesses and whistleblowers needing protection. The…
Liberia’s push for a War and Economic Crimes Court is gaining urgency as Jallah Barbu, head of the court’s establishment office, calls on President Joseph Boakai to recall lawmakers from their break and pass the court bill before the U.N. General Assembly. Survivors and advocates say justice for victims of Liberia’s civil wars can no…
As the cost of living continues to rise across Monrovia and beyond, growing numbers of vulnerable Liberians say they are being pushed into begging just to survive. The story highlights the struggles of families facing unemployment, soaring food and transport costs, and limited access to healthcare, while aid organizations and community groups report increasing requests…
A decade after Liberia was declared Ebola-free, many survivors and families are still living with the emotional, physical, and economic scars of the devastating outbreak. From grandparents raising orphaned children to survivors coping with lingering health challenges and trauma, their stories highlight the long road to recovery and the need for continued support, remembrance, and…
What started with a single borrowed sewing machine has grown into the ACD Vocational Training Institute in Gbarnga, where founder Joseph N. Kamara has spent 25 years training hundreds of young people, most of them women, in practical skills that create pathways to employment and self-reliance. The institute’s success in combining vocational training with a…
More than two decades after Liberian women helped bring an end to the country’s civil wars, many remain underrepresented in current efforts to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court. A new US$3 million initiative, the Gender Promotion Initiative 2.0, aims to strengthen women’s organizations and increase the participation of women and girls in peacebuilding,…
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: When young Liberians marched through the streets of the capital in March demanding stronger action against rape and gender-based violence, many wondered whether the government would simply receive their petition and move on. Less than two months later, the Ministry of Gender has answered that question…
After 12 years leading Liberia’s National Elections Commission, Davidetta Browne Lansanah has stepped down, leaving behind a record many see as proof of the power of women’s leadership. As a bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Liberia’s Legislature remains stalled in the Senate, advocates point to Lansanah’s successful management of two presidential elections, including…
Thousands of bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia to assist vulnerable Liberians became the center of a major corruption case that is now nearing its conclusion in Monrovia. But in flood-affected communities in River Cess, some residents say they knew little about the trial and are still waiting for the relief they were promised….
A new survey by New Narratives has found overwhelming support for a war and economic crimes court in Grand Bassa County, with all 100 people interviewed backing the establishment of the court and most saying they would not vote for lawmakers who oppose it. Through the voices of war survivors, victims’ families, activists, and ordinary…
By Fatu Kamara with New Narratives Summary BROAD STREET, Monrovia – It has been a long day for Joseph. The sun is beginning to set, and the 48-year-old father of three has been trawling the streets of Monrovia since morning, asking for money. On most days, he begs for money to feed his family. Today, he…
Nine in every ten people questioned said they want the court established — and almost as many said they would not vote for lawmakers who fail to support it. The survey comes as bills to establish the court face strong opposition among lawmakers and the international community warns that court must meet international standards if…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: The head of Liberia’s leading war crimes investigation group said the organization has again relocated a senior investigator for his safety after he received repeated death threats connected to his work on the case of Moses Wright, the former Liberian army commander who is set to…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives More than two decades after Liberian women helped played a decisive role in bringing the country’s civil wars to an end, they have been far less visible in the renewed push to reckon with the wars’ atrocities committed during them. No woman was shortlisted to lead the…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary Aaron Weah, the leading historian and transitional justice expert, has warned of security risks if the country fails to approve legislation establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court before it assumes the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council in December. Despite years of advocacy,…
As Liberia moves closer to taking on a leadership role at the United Nations Security Council, experts are warning that delays in establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court could pose risks to the country’s stability and international credibility. Advocates argue that addressing unresolved civil war-era abuses is essential for justice, accountability, and lasting peace,…
By Nukanah Kollie with New Narratives Summary: SUAKOKO, Bong County — All was calm at Phebe Hospital on a recent afternoon. White buildings sat behind freshly cut grass. Ambulances stood nearby. The former Ebola Treatment Unit looked like an ordinary hospital ward. More than a decade ago, it was part of an hourly battle between life…
