Top UN relief official to visit Côte d’Ivoire following January disturbances
Following the burning and looting of humanitarian offices in western Côte d’Ivoire, the top United Nations relief official will visit the country to stress the need for all parties there to respect humanitarian laws, principles and workers, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.
Following the burning and looting of humanitarian offices in western Côte d’Ivoire, the top United Nations relief official will visit the country to stress the need for all parties there to respect humanitarian laws, principles and workers, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.
Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator will meet national and local authorities and the members of the humanitarian community in Abidjan, Bouaké and Guiglo, where the facilities of ten organizations were attacked during disturbances that took place from 17 to 19 January 2006.
Mr. Egeland will also attend the forthcoming meeting of the International Working Group on behalf of the humanitarian community.
Côte d’Ivoire was divided into a Government-ruled south and rebel-held north after the failure of an attempted coup against President Laurent Gbagbo in September 2002 triggered a civil war.
Political unrest in the West African country last month was directed at UN and other agencies after a UN-authorized group recommended the effective disbanding of the National Assembly, whose mandate had expired.
Last week, Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent the Government of President Gbagbo a bill for damage to UN offices during the disturbances.