Published: 7 February 2011
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is concerned about the lives of thousands of people fleeing the post-election crisis in Côte d'Ivoire to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.
To date, more than 32,000 Ivorians have already left Côte d’Ivoire to reach Liberia*. Most of these refugees are living with host families already overwhelmed and unable to meet the needs of their guests which include shelter, food, water and latrines.
With the support from the IFRC, and in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Liberian Red Cross has been carrying relief activities to assist these vulnerable population. The Red Cross National Society has trained and mobilized more than fifty volunteers who are providing vital assistance to displaced people. Essential items such as tents, buckets, bars of soap, jerry cans, blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats, have been distributed to more than one thousand refugees and host families.
To cope with the critical water and sanitation needs, wells and water pumps are being rehabilitated and latrines are also being constructed by the Liberian Red Cross with technical and financial support from IFRC and ICRC, while volunteers are conducting sensitization activities with focus on health education and hygiene promotion. Border Response Teams (BRT) have also been set up in communities bordering Côte d’Ivoire to monitor the influx of the refugees and provide them necessary humanitarian assistance.
“Though our intervention is as a result of the influx of the refugees, the current needs already existed in these communities. Hence the beneficiaries of the Red Cross assistance are both the refugees and their hosts” said Ambullai Perry, Director, Disaster Management of the Liberian Red Cross.
In neighbouring Guinea, where more than 600 refugees have been registered to date, the IFRC is providing logistic support to the Guinean Red Cross in water and sanitation activities. Following the election, the IFRC has pre-positioned relief stocks in all countries bordering Côte d'Ivoire to provide immediate assistance to people fleeing political unrest in that country.
“The needs in Liberia are enormous and with the continuing crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, thousands of people will continue to seek refuge in neighbouring countries including Liberia," said Momodou Lamin Fye, Regional Representative of the IFRC for the Sahel region. "Unfortunately, response to the appeal so far is very low to cover the needs.”
In late December, the IFRC launched a preliminary emergency appeal of 1.35 million Swiss francs (USD 1.39 million / EUR 1.06 million) to help the Red Cross National Societies in the countries bordering Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen their relief efforts and preparedness to assist people displaced by the political crisis. Meanwhile, the IFRC has released funds from its disaster relief emergency fund to start the emergency operations.
For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:
In Dakar: Moustapha Diallo, Communications Officer, IFRC Regional Representation, Sahel Region
Tel: +221 77 450 10 04
In Liberia: Ademola Alao, Communications Officer, IFRC Regional Representation, West Coast Region
Tel: +231 880 683 285
In Johannesburg : Faye Callaghan, IFRC Zone Communication Manager
Tel : +27 71 895 2774
* Data source: UNHCR and the local authorities