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Côte d'Ivoire

UNICEF Cote d'Ivoire Situation Report 24 Feb - 2 Mar 2003

General Situation
Life goes on in Abidjan, with various political, civic and religious actors daily calling for, either, calm and compromise, or a rejection of the programme to include the rebels in the government.

Humanitarian Consequences

UNHCR opened a new centre in Abidjan - Attoban - to receive 400 IDPs whose homes were destroyed in the wake of the 19 September attempted coup.

Japan donated 2.6 million Euro to Côte d'Ivoire for the programme called "Rice for All" to increase rice production and 600,000 Euro to WFP Côte d'Ivoire.

The humanitarian situation in the western part of Côte d'Ivoire remains worrisome. An inter-agency mission reached Man, capital of Region of 18 Mountains and has presented its recommendations. (See below for UNICEF's).

Programme Issues

Preparation of the Consolidated Appeal(CAP)

The process is on-going. The latest draft of UNICEF's section of the CAP was reviewed and updated and a sub-regional calendar established during the CI Emergency review meeting held in Dakar last week. UNICEF will be the lead agency for Education under the CAP.

Education

UNICEF and its partners have achieved the development of the peace education curriculum. UNICEF gave technical support to the Ministry of Education for a census of displaced children enrolled in schools in Abobo (Abidjan) in order to prepare its intervention in the framework of the back to school campaign.

UNICEF has discussed with the Ministry of Education the redistribution of educational supplies initially intended for Liberian refugees in the west. The new plan of distribution is available: areas where the Ministry of Education faced major constraints to implement the special second academic year for displaced children have been selected: Abidjan in the South, and Yamoussoukro and M'bahiakro in the Centre.

Situation in Bouaké as of 26 February

The situation is calm. Thousands of residents who fled at the outbreak of the crisis are returning to Bouaké. Goods are available on the market but hard cash is scarce. Banks are still closed. The UNICEF sub-office is up and running under a health team. The initial difficulties in communication links (fax, telephone and email) is well into full resolution.

Measles immunization in Bouaké (ocupied) & Duekoue (government)

Status of the preparation of the measles immunization/vitamin A supplementaion: the idea of a major vaccination campaign had to be shelved in place of an accelerated routine immunization drive instead. Measles immunization was started in Bouaké town on 28 February, with the target to cover 70,000 children, from 6 months to 4 years.

Preparation of the child rights sensitisation campaign

Communication Programme finalised the situation review of violations of human rights with the support of local NGOs working in the field of protection. Three areas were selected as focus: discrimination against vulnerable groups, sexual abuse and child enrolment in armed conflict.

UNICEF-OCHA-WFP mission to Man (West) - February 21-24, 2003

Côte d'Ivoire's 18 Mountains region and its capital Man has been the most volatile and unstable part of the country in recent weeks. Much of the ceasefire violations between the government and rebel forces have occurred there. The fact-finding joint mission focussed on the status of the health services, food security and nutrition as well as on child protection. The mission found that while the food security situation was not precarious and that malnutrition levels were not alarming, human rights abuses were rampant with serious impact on child protection. It recommended the following immedaite action : i. An inter-agency field office be opened in Man, a convoy of relief supplies by UNICEF (medical) and WFP (food) be sent to Man as soon as possible. UNICEF is in the process of making sectoral analysis to identify further immediate needs for Man.

Regional Director and Country Representative Visit to Yamoussoukro, Daloa and Bouake (28 February - 1 March)

Regional Director Rima Salah and Country Representative Georgette Aithnard held talks with the main Ivoirian rebel group, the Movement Patriotic de Côte d'Ivoire (MPCI) during which the MPCI pledged full cooperation in the protection of the rights of children and women in the areas under their control. Ms. Salah stressed the need for the full observance of international humanitarian laws, specifically, those concerning the neutrality and impartiality of United Nations' assistance to populations affected by armed conflict. She stressed that all children, regardless of their political, ethnic and religious background have the right to health, education and legal protection. She expressed UNICEF's concern about reports of child combatants among the MPCI and other rebel ranks. Ms. Salah detailed the role and planned activities of the newly-opened (January) UNICEF sub-office in Bouake to better provide and coordinate its support in health & nutrition, water & environmental sanitation, basic education and child protection to the IDPs and refugees in Bouake, environs and further up to Korhogo and other parts of the country currently out of reach to humanitarian workers due to insecurity.

Delivery/Pre-positioning of Relief Supplies: Central Regions/Yamoussoukro; the West, Bonoufla, Zoukougbeu, Daloa and Duékoué

Yamoussoukro

Centre Mié Gou: One 5000-litre water tank, 190 garbage bags (100 litres each), 60 soaps and one 1,000-litre garbage container, 150 blankets.

Health Centre for mother and child: drugs: four basic kits, one supplementary kit n=B01, one supplementary kit n=B02.

Regional Hospital of Yamoussoukro: drugs: Seven basic kits, 2 supplementary kits n=B01, two supplementary kits n=B02.

Bonoufla

Delivery to the Crisis Committee of Bonoufla; drugs: Four basic kits, one supplementary kit n=B01, one supplementary kit n=B02, 200 blankets.

Zoukougbeu

Health centre: three basic kits, one supplementary kit n=B01, one supplementary kit n=B02.

Daloa

Social centre; 1,000 water tanks, (10 litres each), 5 water tanks (100 litres each), 500 chlorine tablets, 10 garbage cans (100 litres each), 200 blankets, 100 litres of bleach, 100 buckets, two recreation kits for 80 children, and two education kits for 160 children.

Regional Hospital of Daloa: drugs: 10 basic kits, one supplementary kit n=B01, 1 supplementary kit n=B02 and 1 supplementary kit n=B03.

Duékoué

City hall reception centre: One water tank of 5,000 litres, 1,000 tanks, (10 litres each), five water storage tanks (100 litres each), 500 chlorine tablets, 15 garbage cans (100 litres each), 20 garbage bags (100 litres each), 200 blankets, 50 litres of bleach, 100 buckets, Hospital: 10 basic kits, one supplementary kit n=B01, 1 supplementary kit n=B02 and 1 supplementary kit n=B03.

Catholic church: 500 water tanks, (10 litres each), 3 water storage tanks (100 litres each), 500 chlorine tablets, 5 garbage cans (100 litres each), 90 garbage bags (100 litres each), 200 blankets, 100 hand towels, 50 litres of bleach, 100 buckets, 144 plastic plates.

Hospital: drugs: 10 basic kits, 1 supplementary kit n=B01, 1 supplementary kit n=B02 and 1 supplementary kit n=B03.