More than 300.000 people remain displaced or in refuge in neighbouring countries eight months after the November 2010 election in Côte d’Ivoire resulted in civil war. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) works to ensure food security, protection and reconciliation in border-regions to enable their safe return.

The conflict in Côte d’Ivoire lead to violence, killings and the destruction of villages forcing hundreds of thousands to flee. More than 150.000 remain in refuge in neighbouring Liberia, another 16.000 in Ghana and 170.000 are internally displaced within Côte d’Ivoire.

“While many Ivorians have returned home in the past months, some are still reluctant to come back because of the lack of security. The problems which led to the 2010 crisis including land issues and ethnic tensions are still not solved. Some have seen the conditions in their area of origin improving but have no means to rebuild their lives. Many homes were destroyed and crops were not harvested,” says Gaele Chojnowicz Protection Manager for the Danish Refugee Council and concludes: “It will take a lot of efforts and a true commitment from the International Community and the Ivorian Government to enable a safe, dignified and voluntary return of the displaced Ivorians.  

The DRC activities in the western and eastern border regions include food security, protection, reconciliation, water and sanitation and infrastructure.

“Coordinating with other humanitarian actors DRC has been assisting the displaced and conflict-affected population throughout the crisis. Through distribution of food, seeds and tools as well as community programmes aimed at strengthening peace and reconciliation, through training and sensitization of the population for pacific conflict resolution and empowering of women.” Says Gaele Chojnowicz,” and continues: ”DRC is also one of the main actors in Western Ivory Coast in protection monitoring and child protection, reporting and documenting cases of human rights violation and helping the communities cope with the challenges of a post-crisis situation. Finally, DRC is also present in different return areas to restore water system damage during the crisis and educate the population about sanitation and hygiene.” Says Gaele Chojnowicz.

West-Africa is one of the worlds most poor and unstable regions with a history of violence and conflict. Liberia, now hosting refugees from Côte d’Ivoire is still recovering from 15 years of bloody civil-war. DRC is present on both sides of the border between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire and flexibility is a keyword for humanitarian agencies in the region.

“While DRC action in West Africa is lately focused on answering the needs associated with the last crisis, DRC also aims at strengthening long-term solutions for the region, through cross-border programming and community oriented activities. DRC gives a voice to conflict-affected populations through advocacy at local, national and international levels, empowers them to find solutions to the challenges they are facing, and helps them build a future for their families and communities,” says Gaele Chojnowicz.

Read more on Globalpost.com

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