Refugee Sites in Guinea Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees primarily live in four areas of Guinea. About 90 percent live in the western Forest Zone of Gueckedou and the eastern Forest Zone of Nzerekor -two of the poorest regions of the country. Most refugees in Guinea live in a series of small settlements rather than in large camps. Limited food aid, education, and medical care are available, although the quality of services is often poor. Refugees attempt to support themselves by sharecropping, working as contract laborers, and selling firewood.
Guinean authorities allow refugees to engage in limited amounts of farming.
Poor road conditions seriously hamper access to refugee settlements in the Forest Zones, particularly during rainy seasons when unpaved roads become virtually impassable. Rains and poor roads effectively block aid to most refugees several months each year, aggravating hardships. Protection Concerns Armed attacks by Sierra Leonean insurgents against Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea have increased in recent months, resulting in numerous deaths, abductions, and mutilations. An attack on May 22 killed 11 civilians. Aid workers urge Guinean authorities to move refugee sites to safer locations farther from the border.