Liberia

Liberia is a heavily forested coastal nation along the Atlantic Ocean on the West Africa and borders Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.  Because of the calamity the civil war brought to the nation, Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with an estimated population of 4.9 million people.  Over two-fifths of the population of Liberia is under age 15 and only about 5% is older than 60. The country’s birth and death rates are among the highest in the world. Life expectancy is about 57.  Due to poor sanitation, unclean water, and the lack of adequate medical facilities, over 11,000 Liberians have died from the Ebola virus. The outbreak has impacted crop production, income levels and food security as well. HIV/AIDS has also affected the country greatly.  Almost 45,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS within Liberia and only 19% have access to treatment.  Adequate food supply is still a huge problem within Liberia. Though the country has a vast amount of farming land and plenty of natural resources, civil war has had a lasting impact on the country as a whole. The price of food has soared, causing even greater issues among the people.  Because of this, a higher rate in malnutrition among children five and under has been the result.  Due to the grave conditions within Liberia, child labor has become a problem. 

While Liberia only has about five Unreached People Groups among the 39 people groups within the nation, the work to do in Liberia is very large. Not only are we targeting the Unreached People Groups there, but we are working to circumvent the extreme issue of poverty among the people. The nation continues to be plagued with disease, entrenched fetishism and continual disruption of war, adding hurdles for the Gospel to penetrate the hearts of the people.