Human rights abuses remain wide spread with a spill over to Sierra Leone and Guinea. However, as sanctions hang over Liberia, there are those who continue to insist that the sanctions will hurt the ordinary, the poor. Furthermore, they argue that by placing a new embargo on importation of arms in Liberia, a ban on the travel of senior government officials, a ban on the exportation of diamond and timber and Liberian registered flights, this will affect the Liberian people. But, interestingly, these people have failed to illustrate the manner in which the sanctions will affect the already oppressed and impoverished people of that country. While the Liberian government has continuously bargained that funds from the exportation of diamond and logs have been used to rehabilitate and rebuild schools, hospitals and other developmental activities that is the contrary.
Liberian schools lack basic educational materials to function.
Hospitals also do not have minimal operational materials. Moreover, teachers and medical personnel are among civil servants who receive the lowest of salaries. Within Liberia itself, indicators are that sanctions or no sanctions, the status quo remains. There have been strikes and boycotts by both teachers and students calling on government to make schools operational. Many students were beaten and several wounded by the police.