of administrative subdivision. Briama – Kukuna Khonimakha – Kabaya Gbinle – Tawuya Dixing – Mafaray Magbema – Kambia Mambolo – Mambolo Masungbala – Kawula Thala – Thala Samu – Kychum Tonko Limba – Madina Condition All the chiefdoms had medical centres or posts with the only referral hospital located in Kambia town, the district headquarters town. There are less transport facilities in almost all these places to the headquarters town. This made it possible for the highest number of death rate especially infant and maternal mortality in Kambia than all other districts in the country. There are 13 secondary schools in the district, located in Kambia town, Rokupr, Kasirie, Kychom, Mambolo, Tombowala, Madina, Kamassassa and Kukuna; three of the 13 of the secondary schools together with the hospital were all burnt down in February 1999 during the intensive fighting in the district, while the remaining 10 were systematically vandalised to an extent of completely ruining them. As the district was hit later by the war than most other areas of Sierra Leone, it hosted a huge number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) until September 1998 when it sustained a heavy rebel attack by the RUF rebel fighters. Much of the population, together with over 40,000 IDPs who had sought refuge in the district fled to neighbouring Guinea. The inhabitants of this district constitute the majority of the refugees in the Forecariah prefecture (District). Economy The district is considered as the main rice bowl of Sierra Leone. It has a large agricultural zone with extensive swamp areas found in every chiefdom, but more in the south-west, dominated by mangroves and large river estuaries. The rest of the vegetation consists of a mix between forest to the south and grassland or savannah to the north east. With annual rainfall above 2,500mm, the district has an impressive potential for upland, inland valley swamp and mangrove swamp farming. The population is mainly farmers, practising off-season activities such as gardening, hunting and as migrant labour. The major food crops grown by the people are, rice (the staple food), cassava, millet, sweet potatoes and sorghum, while groundnuts and maize constitute the major cash crops. In addition to farming, fishing along the many river estuaries and streams is practised by a large proportion of the population of the district. Fishing is an important source of income for the district, as traders come from other areas on both