UN urges Côte d’Ivoire neighbours to keep open borders

Warning of a looming humanitarian crisis, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, today called on West African countries to keep their borders open to innocent civilians caught in intensified fighting in Côte d'Ivoire.

"I urge all the parties to exercise restraint," Mr. Lubbers said. "The situation in West Africa is already bad enough. We cannot afford to see more misery in the region."

In response to the emergencies in Côte d'Ivoire and neighbouring countries, UNHCR has issued an urgent appeal for $6.1 million to cover operations for three months. The agency said it is alarmed by reports that basic humanitarian principles are being ignored and that refugees are being drawn into the conflict. "I appeal to all governments in the region to allow free passage to refugees and civilians fleeing violence," Mr. Lubbers said.

While incidents of refugees being barred entry into a neighbouring country remain isolated, UNHCR said it fears that a worsening crisis might prompt governments to seal their frontiers in the event of massive outflows The agency warned that if fighting spreads further, refugees might be forced to join an exodus from Côte d’Ivoire that could include some of the millions of migrant workers from surrounding countries that are themselves impoverished and unstable.

Côte d'Ivoire has sheltered 70,000 Liberian and 3,000 Sierra Leonean refugees for years. Since fighting broke out on 19 September, at least 25,000 refugees and civilians have left Côte d'Ivoire. Of that number, 19,000 Liberian refugees and 2,000 Ivorians went to Liberia, itself torn by rebellion.