In pictures: War-ravaged Monrovia

1 of 8 While many were killed and wounded in the fighting, others faced an epidemic of cholera in Monrovia.

2 of 8 A child soldier sports a teddy bear backpack - many youths are involved in the fighting

3 of 8 Some Liberians who fled the fighting in the capital found shelter in public institutions

4 of 8 After four days of fighting, a tense calm returned to the capital last week

5 of 8 Brandishing guns and knives, government loyalists showed they were now in control

6 of 8 Many Monrovian residents were forced to sleep rough, with the hope of being rescued and reunited with their families

7 of 8 The flare-up in fighting dashed hopes of a peace deal to end Liberia's three-year war

8 of 8 Exhausted by the conflict, Liberians urged America to step in and stop the fighting