UNHCR beefing up Côte d'Ivoire preparedness, as emergency deepens
Briefing Notes, 21 December 2010
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 21 December 2010, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Over the past days UNHCR has been beefing up its contingency arrangements for Côte d'Ivoire in light of the continued instability there. Ahead of the weekend we airlifted additional supplies to Liberia and Guinea from our emergency stockpile in Copenhagen. We currently stand ready to cope with the needs of up to 30,000 refugees.
As of now, the number of Ivorians having fled westwards into Liberia and Guinea stands at around 6,200 – 6,000 of these in the Nimba County area of eastern Liberia, the rest in Guinea. Most are women and children seeking protective refuge and thus far only a handful of those in Liberia have reported actual beatings. We are not at this stage seeing Ivorians fleeing to Burkina Faso, Ghana or Mali.
As most refugees are in Liberia, we have deployed additional staff to Nimba County to ensure greater border monitoring, proper registration of the incoming refugees and to hand-out relief items. We have set up registration centers in 16 villages where we are also distributing blankets, jerry cans, sleeping mats, kerosene lamps, soap and plastic sheeting as we record refugee families.
The Liberian government has itself distributed 1.8 metric tons of rice and repaired water pumps in some villages to improve the supply of clean water, which has been in short supply since the influx began on November 29.
Find out more about UNHCR's response to the new displacement crisis in West Africa.
New flows of Ivorian refugees into Liberia
As of late March, more than 100,000 Ivorian refugees had crossed into eastern Liberia since lingering political tension from a disputed presidential election in neighbouring Côte d' Ivoire erupted into violence in February. Most have gone to Liberia's Nimba County, but in a sign that the fighting has shifted, some 6,000 Ivorians recently fled across the border into Liberia's Grand Gedeh County. Most of the new arrivals have settled in remote villages - some inaccessible by car. The UN refugee agency sent a mission to assess the needs of the refugees in the region.
Photographer Glenna Gordon photographed new arrivals near Zwedru in south-eastern Liberia.
New flows of Ivorian refugees into Liberia
Running for shelter in Côte d'Ivoire
UNHCR has expressed its mounting concern about civilians trapped in the Abobo district of Cote d'Ivoire's commercial centre, Abidjan, following days of fierce fighting between forces loyal to rival presidential candidates. The situation there remains grim. Many of the 1.5 million inhabitants of Abobo have fled, but armed groups are reportedly preventing others from leaving. UNHCR is particularly concerned about vulnerable people, such as the sick and the elderly, who may not be able to leave.
Running for shelter in Côte d'Ivoire
Liberia: A Neighbour's Help
Alphonse Gonglegbe fled to Liberia with his family a few months ago. He appreciates the help he's been receiving in this land neighbouring his native Côte d'Ivoire.
Liberia: Hurried Flight
Tens of thousands of Ivorians have fled their villages and sought shelter in Liberia. Francis says he ran for his life and now he wants safety and food.
Liberia: Arrival at Bahn Camp
UNHCR has opened a new camp for up to 15,000 Ivorian refugees at Bahn in eastern Liberia. Follow the arrival of the first group.
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