CERF gives nearly $1 million to help partners respond to cholera in Côte d'Ivoire
7 September 2012: The cholera epidemic that struck Côte d'Ivoire in May 2012 has spread to the capital, Abidjan. More than 240 new cases of cholera and 14 deaths have been confirmed in the country.
The main sources of contamination are the Tanoé River and Aby Lagoon, according to UN reports. The water is used for everyday needs including cooking, bathing and drinking. Open defecation in the river and lagoon is widely practised.
Recent political violence in Côte d'Ivoire has caused over 500,000 people to flee their homes, the majority of whom are women and children. The country continues to undergo a political and humanitarian crisis, which began when presidential elections were held in November 2010. Health structures have been damaged or have deteriorated, and people’s ability to access health care has been compromised.
CERF provides $606,000 for humanitarian air services in Côte d’Ivoire
22 August 2012: Thirty-four humanitarian organizations rely on the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to deliver relief aid in Côte d’Ivoire. UNHAS, operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), ensures that the humanitarian community can access people in need through a safe, efficient and cost-effective cargo and passenger air service.
UNHAS operations are critical to humanitarian relief in the country’s remote areas during the rainy season when road access to the western regions is poor. The service transports essential food, medical supplies and communications equipment. UNHAS also ensures humanitarian personnel can be evacuated safely and quickly during a security or medical emergency.
In response to a request from the Humanitarian Country Team, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provided US$606,401 to WFP to ensure the continuous operation of UNHAS from September to December 2012. The service will benefit nearly 2.5 million crisis-affected people in Côte d’Ivoire.
CERF in Action - Rapid Response
CERF provides $8 million to UN agencies in Côte d’Ivoire
The post-electoral crisis experienced by Côte d’Ivoire from December 2010 to April 2011 plunged the country into armed violence. The subsequent humanitarian crisis was characterized by massive displacements of people from conflict areas to more stable areas inside and outside the country, protection and insecurity concerns, loss of property and livelihoods by a large part of the Ivorian population and lack of functional basic social services.
Nine months after the post-election crisis, the security and socio-political situation in the country has gradually improved in most parts of Côte d'Ivoire which has enabled hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) and Ivorian refugees in countries of the region to return to their places of origin. Within this transitional context, humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations remains a top priority.