Food shortage in Liberia, which has resulted in a lack of the staple food like rice, has inflamed tensions with civil society groups, students and also politicians threatening street protests to force the government to address the situation and make the solution.
On Tuesday, tensions escalated with large crowds of desperate and angry people gathering in front of empty rice ware-houses.
The Ministry of Commerce issued a hastily prepared press release to reassure the public.
It said there was still rice in the country and beg rice retailers not to restrict sales or engage in "profiteering at the expense of ordinary people".
A clear sign of the levels of concern is the hundreds of peoples, largely women, who are sleeping in the open around the rice ware-houses of foreign importers.
Opposition political parties have blamed the government for the crisis but ruling party supporters say this is unfounded