Liberia, July 28 -- More than 400 Liberian nationals have been left homeless and stranded after a large-scale demolition exercise carried out by Ivorian authorities destroyed hundreds of homes in the Vridi Canal community on the outskirts of Abidjan, according to leaders of the Liberian diaspora in Cote d'Ivoire.

The demolitions, which took place approximately three weeks ago, formed part of the Ivorian Government's ongoing urban redevelopment and settlement clearance program aimed at addressing unauthorized structures and improving urban planning in rapidly expanding areas surrounding the commercial capital. However, the operation has had devastating consequences for hundreds of Liberian migrants and their families who had lived in the...