More than 3,000 residents of Zor Geipa, a remote community in Yekepa District, Nimba County, are making a 30-minute trek each day to fetch water from a polluted creek—their only available source—leaving them vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
Situated at the foot of the East Nimba Reserved Forest, the town lies within the home county of Vice President Jeremiah K. Koung and Senators Samuel Kogar and Nyan Twayen. Yet residents say they have endured years without safe drinking water, as broken hand pumps remain unrepaired and toilet facilities are non-existent.
“We often get sick because of the creek,” said resident Prince Gbormie. “During the dry season it dries up, and when the rains come, the whole town suffers from diarrhea.”
Two hand pumps installed years ago by non-governmental organisations have long since fallen into disrepair, forcing locals to rely on untreated water from creeks and streams for drinking, cooking, and washing.
Samuel Zarwolo, another resident, described how heavy rains in the wet season make the problem even worse. “Our hand pumps are not working. We have no choice but to use creek water for drinking and cooking,” he said.
For expectant mother Cecelia M. Suah, the daily struggle is especially concerning. “I have no choice. I drink, bathe, wash, and cook with this unsafe water,” she explained.
The lack of clean water and sanitation facilities in Zor Geipa reflects a wider crisis across Liberia. According to UNICEF’s Joint Monitoring Programme, one in four Liberians does not have access to clean water close to home, eight in ten lack decent toilets, and nine in ten live without soap or water for handwashing.
Government funding for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) remains critically low, leaving the sector heavily reliant on donor support. Residents are now appealing to authorities and humanitarian organisations to urgently install working hand pumps and improve sanitation services, warning that without swift intervention, the public health risks will only worsen.
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