West Point, Monrovia


West Point is a township of the Liberian capital city of Monrovia, located on a 0.53 km2 peninsula which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean between the Mesurado and Saint Paul rivers. West Point is one of Monrovia's most densely populated slums.
Environmental degradation has gradually caused part of the peninsula to erode into the ocean. Endemic problems include overpopulation and diseases such as tuberculosis.

History

The settlement formed in the 1940s. An experiment in the 1970s to move people from West Point failed. Residents returned despite squalid living conditions. People moved back to fish and make a living as informal shopkeepers and service providers close to the city centre.
During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the neighborhood was placed under quarantine, such that nobody could enter or leave, a practice known as Cordon sanitaire. This drew criticism from health experts and human rights advocates. The quarantine was halted after 10 days, and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf later acknowledged that this decision had been a mistake.

Government

In 2018 President George Weah appointed William C. Wea as Commissioner for West Point.
West Point is part of the Montserrado-7 electoral district.

Demographics

West Point is divided into six communities;
CommunityInhabitants No. of Households
Central West Point7,9591,941
Fish Town6,0941,486
Grandcess Yard7,3411,790
Police Station4,9111,198
Power Plant4,6511,134
West Point3,649890
Total:34,6058,439

Social issues

Sanitation

The area lacks proper sanitation and public toilets. and a 2009 report by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that there were four public toilets in the area. Pay toilets exist, but residents cannot afford them, and thus public defecation is common. The beach surrounding West Point is often used as a lavatory which creates health hazards as the water is used for drinking and fish from the water are consumed.