Amid political uncertainty in Côte d’Ivoire, UN food agency seeks $13.8 million for aid

With the prospect of national elections still undecided for end October and a continued impasse among political factions in Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking $13.8 million in international assistance to extend its relief operations until the end of 2006 for victims of the turmoil.

“The world’s generous support has made a critical difference over the past 12 months, but the situation in the Ivory Coast remains extremely fragile and many hundreds of thousands will still need assistance through next year,” UN World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Director for West Africa Mustapha Darboe said.

The agency’s appeal is necessary to continue to feed about 900,000 people in the country, which will require about 59,000 metric tonnes of food. Some live in camps and are completely dependent on food aid, while others have seen a slow but steady deterioration in their ability to provide for themselves and their families.

Elections scheduled for 30 October have been delayed amid continuing problems, said the agency and “even if a peaceful path is found through the current political impasse,” those elections “are now thought highly unlikely to take place, [and] WFP will continue to face enormous challenges in Ivory Coast in 2006.”

In August, Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special-Representative Pierre Schori said that a monthly report on human rights across the country made for “grim reading” because of the absence of the rule of law, the daily harassment of people and the feeling of insecurity.

The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) is deployed to monitor a cease-fire after fighting that first erupted in 2002, when rebels seeking to oust President Laurent Gbagbo seized the north, splitting the world's largest cocoa producer into two.