UN agency calls for mobilization of financial support for Ivorian refugees

More funds are needed to provide vital aid to the hundreds of thousands of refugees in Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency reported today, calling for the mobilization of donor support to help those who require assistance to return to their villages and rebuild their lives.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are currently more than 194,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Côte d’Ivoire, with at least 25,000 living in camps. In addition, there are 187,000 refugees in neighbouring countries, with 160,000 living in Liberia alone.

At present, the emergency humanitarian action plan created for the country and its neighbouring States in December last year is funded at only 31 per cent, representing $91 million out of an initial request of $292 million.

‘It is very important to assist the Ivorian IDPs and refugees to return home in dignity and in an atmosphere of security. Support from the humanitarian community is essential in meeting the needs of these populations and those in other communities affected by the post-election crisis,” said Humanitarian Coordinator for Côte d'Ivoire Ndolamb Ngokwey.

Mr. Ngokwey is part of an OCHA delegation which recently embarked on a week-long visit to London, Geneva, Paris and Brussels to raise funds for humanitarian action in the country.

The Ivorian Minister of Employment, Solidarity and Social Affairs Gilbert Kafana Koné, who is also part of the delegation, expressed his gratitude to the support received so far by the humanitarian community since the beginning of the post-electoral crisis last year, which caused thousands to flee their homes.

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