KARNPLAY, Nimba – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, has made a commitment to fund a road works project linking Karnplay to Logatuo.

Nimba County Superintendent Fong Zuagele made the announcement in an interview with the Liberia News Agency on Tuesday.

“The rehabilitation project on the road from Karnplay to the Logatuo border with Ivory Coast started on Monday and is expected to be completed in 45 days,” Zuagele said.

“We have made available one of our machines, and UNHCR will be providing US$300,000 in fulfillment of the project,” he noted. “This will go to the purchase of engine oil and fuel for the equipment, another portion of the funds will go towards compensation of contractors and the road maintenance work.”

The head of the Nimba County Administration made it clear that the agreement would see the contractors repair and re-install the two damaged bridges.

This latest development about the Karnplay-Logatuo road has brought relief to citizens using the road on a daily basis.

One person who has expressed gratitude about this latest development is the City Mayor of Karnplay, Evelyn Gweh. During the commencement of the project at the brief ground-breaking ceremony in Karnplay, Gweh commended UNHCR for the kind gesture and called the project “timely and crucial to the people of Gbehley-Geh District.”

She added that “this bad road condition has caused a setback to our people in transporting their farm produce to the market for sale.”

Zuagele has said that the rehabilitation of the Karnplay-Logatuo road is part of UNCHR strategic plan aimed at repatriating Ivorian refugees residing in Liberia back to their country.

Thousands of Ivorian citizens fled across their borders to Liberia to seek refuge following post-election violence in 2010 that erupted between supporters of former president Laurent Gbagbo and incumbent Alassane Ouattara.