A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

health care facility in Buduburam. 229 As of October 2007, UNHCR was paying for two physicians to
work part-time at the camp, but does not fund any other clinic staff. 230 The clinic is managed by a
volunteer assigned by a French non-governmental organization. Out of the 34 staff at the clinic, 30
were Liberians, all of whom were working without Ghanaian employment authorization. 231 Fees are
charged so as to keep the clinic running, but refugees are frustrated about the costs. 232
There are limited services available
to treat specific health
issues in Buduburam. The
UNHCR and the National
Catholic Secretariat have
operated an HIV/AIDS
Program in Buduburam Camp
since 2002. 233 It offers walk-in
HIV-testing, an anti-retroviral
program, prevention of motherto-child
transmission program,
outreach and education, and
post-exposure prophylaxis. 234
A small number of support
services are available in Buduburam for women victims of violence, but as with the services for
physical health needs, the mental health services do not begin to address the scope of the problem in
Buduburum.
Security, especially for such a severely traumatized population, is a critical concern. Liberians in
Buduburam, although they felt safer for the most part than in Liberia, were clearly afraid for their
security. 235 Official crime statistics are not publicly available, 236 but the Neighborhood Watch Team
(NEWAT) notes in its literature that the group was “established due to the uncontrollable crime rate
in the settlement; such crimes are as follows: robbery, juking 237 of people at night, rape, abduction of
children, illicit drugs, burglary, and kidnapping…” 238 NEWAT also notes that, since its establishment
in 2002, crime has been reduced to almost “zero level.” The Ghanaian police also maintain a 24-hour
presence in the camp, with two to three officers present during each shift. 239
Despite NEWAT’s assertion of a “zero level” of crime, security concerns remain for those who
spoke to the TRC. Confrontations with Ghanaians including alleged abductions and ritual killings, 240
concerns about perpetrators from the Liberian civil war moving freely about the camp, 241 and issues
of sexual assault and domestic violence were consistently reported. 242 A woman statement giver told
the TRC that the female NPFL fighter who had facilitated her gang rape by the NPFL was still in
the camp and that the statement giver saw her everywhere. 243 Another statement giver noted that in a
town near Buduburam she was approached on the road by a man who called her name and said, “So
331
Chapter Thirteen