Refugee flow from Côte d’Ivoire slows, situation still volatile, UN agency reports

The number of people fleeing the violence in western Côte d'Ivoire has decreased in recent days, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today in Geneva.

Some 100 to 200 refugees are now crossing the borders each day into Liberia and Guinea, compared to the 2,000 to 3,000 that were crossing immediately following the outbreak of fighting in late November. Over the past several days the number of refugees transported home inside of Liberia has also decreased, dropping to 100 to 200 from 500 per day.

At least 48,000 people have now fled the strife-torn western Ivorian regions of Man and Danané for neighbouring Liberia, the UN agency said. Ten thousand refugees have fled to Mali, 35,000 to Burkina Faso and almost 1,600 to Guinea.

Most of the refugees heading to Liberia - about 32,000 - are Liberian nationals who had once sought asylum in Côte d'Ivoire but who have now decided to return home. The group also includes 16,000 Ivorians. Côte d'Ivoire had sheltered 70,000 Liberian and 3,000 Sierra Leonean refugees for years.

Meanwhile, UNHCR announced that it urgently needs further contributions to address the humanitarian crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, following a $6.1 million dollar appeal launched in late November. France has pledged $1.5 million, Germany $247,800 and Italy $180,000. Other donors, including Luxembourg and the United States, have indicated they may also contribute.