German Development Cooperation organisations were active in Liberia until the outbreak of civil war in 1989. The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has been deployed there since the end of the civil war and the cessation of fighting in August 2003. Germany is one of the countries supporting UNMIL.
The situation of the Liberian population remains grave. The civil war completely destroyed the country's infrastructure, and rebuilding is slow due to a lack of resources, building materials and skilled construction firms. The institutional apparatus is weak. There is a shortage of qualified workers. Corruption is endemic. The war has traumatised the majority of the population, leaving them estranged from their families and community and alienated from social norms and values. Three-quarters of all women have been the victims of at least one sexual assault, and sexual violence has remained widespread since the end of the civil war. The unemployment rate is over 85%, with young people the hardest hit. Many people do not have a school education, are prepared to resort to violence and in some cases have turned to crime and drug abuse. 5.9% of the adult population is infected with HIV/AIDS. The population of this nation of 3.2 million people is growing at a rate of 4.8%. More than one third of the population now lives in Monrovia in hopes of finding work there.
A new government was democratically elected in early 2006. It is pursuing a pro-development agenda in the face of difficult conditions and despite the fact that many of the former warring factions today hold seats in the Liberian parliament. The peace is fragile. The new government needs and is seeking international support for efficient governance, which it hopes will bring about a long-term improvement in people's lives and stabilise the country beyond the first wave of emergency aid provided by the international community.
Since 1995 GTZ has been planning, organising and supporting the repatriation of refugees on behalf of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). GTZ has carried out a number of humanitarian initiatives on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office since the middle of 2003. Since the end of 2004, it has been working to repatriate refugees as part of a new strategic partnership between UNHCR and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Since the end of 2005, it has provided emergency and interim assistance in Lofa County with the goal of laying the foundations for survival, social integration and the establishment of a local government.
Liberia is one of the West African countries with fragile statehood and weak governance. A project has currently being implemented on behalf of BMZ that is intended to support the government and the privat sector in capacity development especially in the field of road construction. German Financial Cooperation participates in this project via the World Bank's Multi Donor Trust Fund.