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Humanitarian Needs Still Important in Ivory Coast

At the end of 2010, the contested results of the presidential elections threatened new violence between supporters of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo and those of the internationally-recognized president elect, Alassane Ouattara.

Although our hydraulic equipment programs were coming to an end and our teams were handing over their responsibilities to the appropriate government institutions, SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL decided to maintain its presence in order to intervene quickly if the sociopolitical situation deteriorated. Sadly, our fears were confirmed.

The armed combat taking place in the country caused massive population movements, sending refugees as far as Liberia. "More than 73,000 Ivorian refugees have already crossed the border since the elections," said Claire Bouzigues, our Head of Mission in Liberia, last March."Having left everything behind them, exhausted from days of walking, they are crammed into overpopulated makeshift camps and Liberian villages where there is not room for all of them."

As of June 2011, 206,675 Ivorians have taken refuge in neighboring countries.

Update : May 2011