Leper goes on hunger strike in Bong

A man has threatened to go on hunger strike in Suakoko, Bong County, if the appalling conditions of residents at the Suakoko Leprosy Rehabilitation Center in Bong County are not improved.

Steve Kennedy vowed to initiate the hunger strike due to the continuous neglect of residents of the Leprosy Center by the Government of Liberia and other organizations and prominent individuals in the county.

He said at present, the conditions of inmates at the center were deteriorating by the day due to the absence of safe drinking water, less healthcare, as well as poor housing facilities, among others.

With the emergence of the rainy season, the roofs of the makeshift houses at the center were all damaged, calling on other groups to join the campaign to advocate for the improvement of the lives of the inmates at the Center.

Mr. Kennedy wondered why would the Representative of the District, Edward Karfiah and other county authorities choose to turn their backs at the less-fortunate community, noting that politicians only visit them during election periods and never look back when upon obtaining power.

He said the Suakoko Leprosy Rehabilitation Center has also been abandoned by so-called advocacy groups, which are only focused on Social Development Funds advocacies, rather than advocating for those abandoned by the government and non-government organizations that received international funding.

He singled out the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and Foundation for International Dignity (FIND) for being insensitive to the plight of the lepers and their families at the rehabilitation center.