In Côte d’Ivoire, the situation has been deteriorating since the election in November. An armed conflict is building up, threatening to further destabilize the country as President Laurent Gbagbo continues to refuse to accept international recognized election results – an outcome declaring his political rival Alassane Ouattara as the winner and new leader of the country.

The Danish Refugee Council is now launching an emergency intervention in Liberia to assist refugees from Côte d’Ivoire. Especially in the rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire a growing number of people are now fleeing the tense situation and insecurity. Recent estimates suggest that nearly 11,000 people have crossed the border to North Liberia.

The Danish refugee Council is present at the border areas where teams from the UN are registrating the refugees. More than half of the newly arrived refugees from Côte d’Ivoire are children and adolescents.

“The humanitarian situation is critical, as people do not have access to food, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, and rely completely on the willingnes and ability of the host-population to help,” says Elsa Moreno, head of desk with the Danish Refugee Council.

So far, no humanitarian assistance has been provided to this group of people, primarily because the state of the infrastructure makes access difficult. Several bridges are impassable on the main access road to the border towns where the refugees are located.

The Danish Refugee Council will ensure access to adequate food supply, hygiene, water, sanitation and protection for the Ivorian refugees in border host communities in North Liberia, in close collaboration with other humanitarian actors and authorities in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire respectively.

Funds for the emergency operation in Liberia have been granted by Sida (the Swedish International Development Agency), and the intervention will in addition be supported through funding from Danida as well as the Danish Refugee Council’s own newly established emergency fund.

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