Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war lasted for more than a decade and caused immeasurable destruction. Tens of thousands of people were killed and some 2 million were forced from their homes by violence. In 2002 the parties came together and signed a peace agreement bringing the war to an end and allowing the country to begin rebuilding its shattered infrastructure. The country still faces many tough challenges in repairing the damage caused by so many years of war, but people are now hopeful following the country’s first ever democratic presidential election in 2007. Backgrounder Fact Sheet [PDF] >

How We Help

The International Rescue Committee began emergency relief operations in Sierra Leone in 1999 during the height of the civil war. Since the end of the war in 2002, the IRC has shifted its efforts to post-conflict development for the hundreds of thousands of Sierra Leoneans struggling to rebuild their lives, as well as for the Liberian refugees living in the country. With headquarters in Freetown and three field offices in Kono, Kenema and Kailhaun districts, the IRC runs programs that focus on child protection, education, health, gender-based violence prevention, and governance. The IRC works to increase local participation in project activities, build local capacity, promote and protect human rights, partner with local communities and organizations, and address relief and development needs in a holistic fashion. Learn More > 

Voices from the Field

Saving small children's lives: photos on the IRC blog