Liberia, April 14 -- By Eric Opa Doue with New Narratives  

BETHEL, River Cess County - On a recent humid morning here, the sound of shovels breaking earth has returned for the first time since a mob burned nearly the entire community last month.

This time, the digging is not for destruction - but for rebuilding. Workers and residents have begun shaping dirt bricks using newly delivered tools from the Liberia National Red Cross Society, which has pledged to rebuild 24 homes destroyed in the attack.

But even as construction begins, residents say their most urgent needs remain unmet: food, clean water - and security.

"Nothing - no clothes, no food," said Victoria Smith, a resident who lost her home in the attack. "We...