Published: April 15, 2026
MONROVIA — Every morning, before Mohammed Charles can open for business, he must wipe down his electrical goods shelf by shelf. By midday, the dust has already returned.
That is life at Worlakor Junction in Mount Barclay, on the outskirts of Monrovia, where thick clouds of dust churned up by a relentless stream of dump trucks are quietly destroying the health and livelihoods of thousands of residents and business owners.
“In the morning I have to unveil my goods for customers to see them good, but the dust is not giving us chance,” said Charles, a Sierra Leonean businessman who sells electrical materials and appliances in the area. “It enters my eyes, my nose, our clothes get dirty. It’s very disheartening.”
Residents describe conditions that have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with dust pollution so severe that food vendors are discarding unsold meals daily, drink-shop operators are losing customers and children are turning up at local clinics with respiratory infections.
“All of the food we eat around here is contaminated and we can’t do anything about it,” said Prince Forpoh, a community resident. “It’s really terrible for us.”
Businesses Absorbing Daily Losses
Food vendors are among the hardest hit. One seller said customers routinely complain about contaminated food, forcing her to throw away unsold portions each evening rather than risk serving them the following day.
Kebeh Koikoi, who sells roasted fish, meat and cooked food along the roadside, said she loses between 2,000 and 3,000 Liberian dollars daily during the dry season because of the conditions.
Foodstuffs sold in the dust along the road
Rebecca Paibai, who operates a drinks shop along the road, said her efforts to keep her space clean have made little difference. Attempts to persuade truck drivers to slow down have gone nowhere.
“The dust comes with force. It drives away people who come to sit here. It is giving me and my baby colds and coughs and we can’t do anything about it,” she said.
Entertainment centers and small shops along the junction face similar pressures, with the dusty daytime environment pushing customers indoors and cutting into already thin margins.
Bonevey Siawon, a trader, said the situation compounds an already difficult economic climate. “Things are already difficult in the country. When we buy our goods they sit here and turn nasty. It’s embarrassing for us,” he said.
Years of Worsening Conditions
Sienneh Mulbah, who has sold building materials at the junction for nearly seven years, said the dust has grown noticeably worse as vehicle traffic has increased.
“The dust is so much that I sometimes have to waste water in front of my area, but that only helps for a few minutes,” she said.
Mulbah is calling on the government to pave the road, arguing that the area’s rapid population growth justifies the investment. Without it, she said, residents and business owners have no lasting solution.
Worlakor Junction, located in Sienkpoh Community, Louisiana Township, District One of Montserrado County, has transformed from a quiet outskirt into a densely populated urban hub, drawing thousands of residents and businesses in recent years. That growth has come without the road infrastructure to support it.
A Health Crisis Taking Shape
At Slim Medical Clinic in the community, health practitioner Jerry K. Varney said he has seen a marked rise in respiratory cases, particularly among children, during the dry season.
“Even I am a victim of this dust,” Varney said.
He explained that dust particles can trigger breathing difficulties, sneezing and influenza-like symptoms, and warned that invisible particles and chemical residues can contaminate street food, posing additional health risks to those who consume it.
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