Thousands loot for food at Liberia port
Mobs pillaged the warehouses and left carrying sacks of maize and other staple foods on their heads.
A rebel commander in the area, who identified himself as "K One", said: "There has been looting in the warehouses.
"(We) tried to push them back but we cannot kill them," he said, explaining why his gunmen were firing in the air.
The looting started with thousands in the morning, but by noon the number of civilian ransackers had slimmed down to a few hundred.
Ezekia Sayde, a 17-year-old who was carrying a sack of maize, said: "I am taking this bag because I am too hungry."
The rebels have agreed to open the port, a gateway to resolving the humanitarian crisis in war-battered Monrovia, at noon today.
Weeks of fighting in Monrovia has displaced some 450,000 civilians, who are living rough amid a crippling shortage of food, fuel, water and medicines.
Meanwhile, a UN ship carrying food and medicines has arrived off the coast of Monrovia and is ready to move into the war-ravaged capital, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie said.
"We have a ship off the coast that is ready to move in," Ms McAskie told reporters after touring the seaside city to assess the humanitarian situation.
The vessel is the first humanitarian supply ship to dock off Monrovia after UN international workers pulled out of the city amid heavy fighting in June.
"On board the ship there are some foodstuffs like high-energy biscuits and some medicines," Ms McAskie said.
"The ship will also provide security for our staff."
When asked how much of Liberian territory could be accessed by UN workers, Ms McAskie replied: "We have access to 50 percent of Monrovia."
The UN official also said a second contingent of Nigerian troops, due to arrive today, may be delayed.
"The second Battalion is still in barracks in Nigeria. They are not operational. So it takes them longer."
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