Attachments
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
· Humanitarian conditions in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s economic hub and a city of 5 million people, are growing increasingly serious as the current conflict continues, while humanitarian needs persist in western Côte d’Ivoire. Although forces loyal to U.N.-recognized president Alassane Ouattara had isolated former president Laurent Gbagbo at his residence as of April 8, and pro-Ouattara forces had taken control of most of the city, insecurity in Abidjan continues to result in deteriorating humanitarian conditions and extremely limited access to populations in need. Humanitarian access in western Côte d’Ivoire has improved since pro-Ouattara forces took control of the area in early April.
· Critical humanitarian needs in Abidjan include access to food, water, and medical services, with conditions compounded by lack of electricity, insufficient access to cash and markets, and residents’ inability to move outside their homes due to insecurity. Conflict in Abidjan has forced many relief agency staff to shelter in place or evacuate, and roadblocks and ongoing militia presence are impeding needs assessments and aid deliveries.
· In the west, U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly able to conduct assessments, deliver emergency relief commodities, and provide humanitarian assistance. According to an April 1 U.N. interagency assessment mission to the western town of Duékoué, humanitarian needs include food, medicine, programs to assist victims of violence, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), as well as ensuring physical security and alleviating overcrowded displacement sites.
· Refugees continue to flow into Liberia, with Nimba County hosting the majority of the refugees, most of whom are staying with host communities near the border rather than move into refugee camps. While U.N. agencies and NGOs are reaching refugees and host communities with significant quantities of aid, the hosting situation is straining local resources, and poor roads impede humanitarian access to remote villages.