Published: May 5, 2025
SWENTA, Bong County — After nearly a year without access to safe drinking water, the rural town of Swenta in Bong County is gripped by a growing health emergency, as children fall sick daily from consuming water drawn from a filthy, disease-ridden creek.
The community’s only hand pump broke down 11 months ago and has yet to be repaired, forcing more than 500 residents—including children, elderly people, persons with disabilities and farmers—to rely solely on a stagnant stream for drinking, bathing and cooking. The water is visibly contaminated: brown, foul-smelling and littered with trash and animal waste.
“We are suffering too much,” said Town Chief Emmanuel Zaryee, sitting at his home and pointing toward the broken pump that once served as Swenta’s main water source. “We have informed the authorities many times, but nothing has changed. Our women and children are getting sick. We need help—urgently.”
Each day, women and children walk barefoot to the creek at the edge of the village, balancing old plastic buckets and jerry cans on their heads. They return with water that is slowly eroding the health of their families.
“Our children are always having running stomach,” said Gormah Mulbah, a mother of five. “Sometimes they vomit, get fever, and are too weak to even go to school.”
Another resident, Mary Togbah, added, “The water makes their stomachs hurt all the time, but we don’t have any other option.”
Local health volunteers confirm a spike in diarrhea, typhoid fever, skin rashes and malaria—all exacerbated by the unclean water and poor sanitation. There are also growing reports of children being treated for acute dehydration due to continuous diarrhea.
Despite repeated appeals to local authorities, humanitarian groups and elected officials, no action has been taken to restore the pump or provide an alternative water source.
Swenta’s crisis reflects a broader problem across Liberia’s rural areas. National health statistics show that nearly 50% of the population lacks access to safe drinking water. A 2023 Ministry of Health report found that more than 38% of outpatient cases in rural clinics were linked to waterborne illnesses.
Liberia has made some progress in tackling the water crisis. Organizations such as WaterAid, UNICEF and the Liberia WASH Consortium have supported community-level water projects, including boreholes, purification systems and hygiene education. The government’s National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission, created in 2017, has developed plans to improve access in underserved areas.
Still, these initiatives are undermined by chronic underfunding, aging infrastructure and a lack of maintenance. Many communities, like Swenta, are left with broken water systems that go unrepaired for years.
Residents are now renewing their appeal for urgent government intervention.
“We are calling on President Joseph Boakai’s administration, the Ministry of Public Works and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation,” Chief Zaryee said. “Please come to our aid before we begin to lose lives.”
The community is also urging its elected leaders—including District 1 Rep. Prince Koinah and Senators Johnny K. Kpehe and Prince K. Moye—to address the dire situation and advocate for sustainable solutions.
In addition to repairing the broken pump, residents are calling for long-term interventions: the construction of new boreholes, implementation of routine maintenance programs, and establishment of water treatment systems that can withstand seasonal droughts.
Liberia is still healing from previous public health emergencies, including the deadly Ebola outbreak. For communities like Swenta, access to clean water is not a luxury—it is a matter of survival.
“The suffering is too much,” said Zaryee. “We can’t wait any longer.”
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