West Point, Monrovia

For other uses, see West Point (disambiguation).
West Point
Township
Country Liberia
County Montserrado
City Monrovia
Population
 • Total 75,000

West Point is a township (the administrative equivalent of a city ward) of the Liberian capital city of Monrovia, located on a peninsula which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean between the Mesurado and Saint Paul rivers. Home to approximately 75,000 people, West Point is one of Monrovia's most densely populated slums.

Environmental degradation has gradually caused part of the peninsula to erode into the ocean. Endemic problems include overpopulation and diseases such as tuberculosis.[1]

History

An experiment in the 1970s to move people from West Point failed.[2] Residents returned despite squalid living conditions.[2] People moved back to fish and make a living as informal shopkeepers and service providers close to the city centre.[2]

Social issues

Sanitation

The area lacks proper sanitation and public toilets.[3][4] and a report by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that there are four public toilets in the area.[5] Pay toilets exist, but residents cannot afford them, and thus public defecation is common.[5] The beach surrounding West Point is often used as a lavatory which creates health hazards as the water is used for drinking and fish from the water are consumed.[3][5]

See also

General:

References

  1. ↑ "West Point, Liberia: An environmental menace". The Liberian Dialogue. February 24, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 "LIBERIA: Disease rife as more people squeeze into fewer toilets", IRIN News, 19 November 2009.
  3. 1 2 KIEH, GEORGE KLAY (2008). FIRST LIBERIAN CIVIL WAR : THE CRISES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT. Peter Lang. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-8204-8839-4. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  4. ↑ Patton, Carl V. (1988). Spontaneous Shelter: International Perspectives and Prospects. Temple University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-87722-507-2. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Africa water atlas. UNEP/Earthprint. 2010. p. 255. ISBN 978-92-807-3110-1. Retrieved 30 March 2013.

Coordinates: 6°19′38″N 10°48′23″W / 6.3273°N 10.8064°W / 6.3273; -10.8064

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