UNHCR strengthening presence in Western Cote d'Ivoire amid IDP crisis

In Cote d'Ivoire UNHCR has strengthened its presence in the west of the country to cope with the needs of displaced people there following recent clashes. Our teams have deployed in Man and Danané this week, where they'll be registering displaced people and monitoring their protection needs. In total, we estimate there to be more than 18,000 displaced people in this area.

UNHCR is particularly concerned by the conditions at the Catholic mission in the town of Duékoué where some 13,000 people are staying. The church compound there does not have the sanitation facilities to cope with the numbers, garbage is accumulating, and the risks of disease are growing.

Meanwhile in eastern Liberia work has been continuing at Bahn on the building of the new camp for refugees there, but the difficult jungle conditions have made this slower going than anticipated. Two bulldozers have been brought in from Sierra Leone to speed up the clearing of land, which till now has been done by hand. Food distribution is ongoing to refugees spread across 23 villages near the border. We now believe there to be some 30,000 refugees in Liberia.

As its part of the consolidated appeal being launched today in Geneva, UNHCR is seeking $43.8 million in funds for its operations in both Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia, plus covering operations in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Ghana.