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US$160 million needed for aid in Côte d'Ivoire

Countries
Côte d'Ivoire
+ 1 more
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

(New York / Abidjan, 14 April 2011): Humanitarian agencies appealed today for US$160 million to scale up aid over the next nine months in Côte d’Ivoire as the humanitarian crisis has affected thousands of households throughout the country.

At the onset of the humanitarian crisis, aid agencies in January initially appealed for $32 million. Today's $160,444,033 appeal, a five-fold increase, reflects the dramatic situation across Côte d’Ivoire. The appeal aims to provide assistance in food security, nutrition, education, protection, water, health care and sanitation to as many as two million people throughout the country. The country has been experiencing a serious crisis, in which as many as 800,000 people have been internally displaced, while more 130,000 Ivorians have fled to neighboring countries.

“The humanitarian crisis requires a rapid and strong response from the donor community,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator in Côte d’Ivoire, Ndolamb Ngokwey.

The $160 million-appeal will allow UN agencies and NGOs to significantly scale up relief programs, notably in the economic capital Abidjan and in the west. While in western Côte d’Ivoire, humanitarian agencies have been able to distribute some aid, relief assistance has been far more problematic in Abidjan due to insecurity and a resultant lack of access. The appeal also seeks funding for aid to the north, an area that has received little attention during the past four months.

With $42.3 million in projects, the protection sector leads all funding requests, because the crisis has been first and foremost a crisis of protection. The appeal also seeks $17.6 million for food security; $5.8 million for education; $6.4 million for the health sector; and $7.5 million for early recovery. At the height of the crisis, schools were closed; health facilities had run out of medicine; health professionals were absent; the price of food had at least doubled; farming families had no access to their land.

“The humanitarian crisis is not yet over. All across the country, it will take many months to restore people’s dignity and rebuild livelihoods. Aid agencies will be here as long as it will take but we need to start now. We are asking for only $74 for each person affected,” Mr. Ngokwey said.

In neighbouring Liberia, home to the largest Ivorian refugee population with over 130,000 people, humanitarian agencies also appealed for $146.5 million to address humanitarian needs.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.