Côte d’Ivoire Monthly Humanitarian Report October 2011 www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Coordination Saves Lives • Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action October 2011 Côte d’Ivoire Humanitarian Bulletin | 2 Côte d’Ivoire Monthly Humanitarian Report Coordination Saves Lives No.1 | October 2011 HIGHLIGHTS ■ The number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) on 35 sites across the country is gradually decreasing. ■ A National Committee for Coordination of Humanitarian Action (CNCAH) was established by ministerial decree (Minister of State, Employment, Social Affairs and Solidarity) on 5 October 2011. ■ Ivorian refugees in Liberia are spontaneously and gradually returning to their villages of origin in the Moyen Cavally region. ■ The Humanitarian Coordinator and the Ivorian Minister for Employment, Solidarity and Social Affairs visited several European capitals to mobilize support for humanitarian action in Côte d'Ivoire. ■ The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Côte d'Ivoire took office on 24 October. I. GENERAL CONTEXT During October, violent incidents took place in the towns of Issia, Guiglo and Bangolo in the West of the country. These incidents resulted in the displacement of an estimated 450 people according to the Protection Cluster. In the Lagunes region, there has been an upsurge of security incidents: several cases of armed robbery, home intrusion and theft are reported to have been committed by armed men in the districts of Anyama, Abobo and Yopougon, in Abidjan. This situation is reportedly due to the free circulation of firearms and to escapee- prisoners since the post-electoral crisis. On the political and economic front, a relative stability is being observed since the past few months. Legislative elections are planned to hold on 11 December despite of the opposition's wish to have them postponed. This relative stability has encouraged the return of several hundreds of thousands of Ivorians to their habitual places of residence. Nevertheless, the humanitarian situation, described as “manageable” by the Humanitarian Coordinator during his trip to Europe, remains fragile in the various sectors: Protection, Education, Health, Food Safety, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation, etc. The displaced, returnees and repatriated populations are still facing difficulties in accessing basic social services such as safe drinking water, health and education. The Coordination and Camp Management cluster and its partners have noted a considerable reduction of the number of IDPs on sites during this month. The number of IDPs has decreased from 25,109 at the end of September to 16,667 people on 25 October on the 35 sites in the country, i.e. 8,442 people less, representing more than one-third of the total number at the end of September 2011. The IDPs registered in host families and communities by the Protection Cluster are estimated at 169,486 people at the end of September. This figure remains unchanged because no additional verification has been carried out over last weeks. Parallel to the reduction of the number of IDPs on sites, there is also a gradual and spontaneous return of Ivorian refugees from Liberia. Moreover, a National Committee for Coordination of Humanitarian Action (CNCAH) was created on 5 October 2011 by a ministerial decree signed by the Minister of State, Minister for Employment, Social Affairs and Solidarity. The Committee is under the authority of the Minister and “stands as a platform for collaboration between the State and national and international humanitarian organizations, which is intended to ensure the consistency of initiatives, as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of the response by actors and partners in the humanitarian sector”. The Committee held its first meeting on 14 October. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State himself, and co-chaired by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Côte www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action October 2011 Côte d’Ivoire Humanitarian Bulletin | 3 d'Ivoire. Several representatives of the humanitarian community, including representatives of UN agencies, national and international NGOs attended this first meeting. Besides, the Minister of State, Minister for Employment, Social Affairs and Solidarity of Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Gilbert Kafana Koné and the Humanitarian Coordinator in Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Ndolamb Ngokwey, visited several European capitals from 17 – 22 October to mobilize funds for the humanitarian action in Côte d'Ivoire. The delegation met the British Secretary of State for International Development in London, the French Minister for Foreign and European Affairs in charge of Cooperation, Mr. Henri de Raincourt, and representatives of Member States, Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UN agencies in Geneva, and finally the Belgian Minister for Cooperation as well as representatives of humanitarian and EU development support organizations, in Paris and Brussels respectively. Lastly, the month was marked by the arrival of the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Côte d'Ivoire on 24 October. Mr. Albert Gerald Koenders, has now assumed duty as Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). Many challenges to be addressed include the organization of the legislative elections of 11 December and national reconciliation. II. MOVEMENTS OF POPULATIONS 1. DISPLACEMENT According to the CCCM Cluster, as at 25 October, the number of IDPs on sites is estimated at 16,667 people distributed over 35 sites in the country. IDPs in host families and communities are estimated at 169,486 people. The Western area (Moyen Cavally, Montagnes and Haut Sassandra) hosts 69 percent of displaced people living on site. Threats of eviction remain high. Over 15 percent of the entire population living on site is under threat of eviction. Compared to the statistics published at the end of September, the number of internally displaced people on sites has decreased in October, from 25,109 to 16,667 people, i.e. a reduction by 8,442 people, representing more than one-third of the total number at the end of September. This reduction is due to the following factors: Relative political stability; Verification of populations on sites; Second phase of return started since the beginning of September. The number of internally displaced people in host families and communities remains stable due to the fact that no verification exercise was carried out over the last weeks. On 25 October, they were estimated at 169,486 people versus. 221,000 people on 30 September, i.e. a reduction by 51,514 people, representing 23 percent of the total number on 30 September. As at 31 October, the total number of IDPs all over the country is 186,153 people as against 194,566 people on 13 October, i.e. a reduction by 8,413 people within two weeks. In addition to post-electoral crisis IDPs, new internally displaced people were registered in Issia, along the Issia-Duékoué axis, in the Western part of Côte d'Ivoire, following violent clashes between villagers and national security forces on 13 October in Koffikro. The clashes resulted in the displacement of 450 people in Issia. The affected populations need assistance and have expressed the desire to return to their areas of origin via humanitarian convoy. www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action October 2011 Côte d’Ivoire Humanitarian Bulletin | 4 The graph below show the evolution of the situation of IDPs since September (Source: CCCM). 2. RETURN As at 13 October, the number of returnees was estimated at 422,055 people. Trend analysis cannot be done as the data is yet to be updated. Obstacles to return include: - Loss of goods requiring assistance for return (return kit), - Insecurity in habitual places of residence; - Lack of information on the availability of assistance and the presence of humanitarian actors. The number of Ivorian refugees in neighboring countries as at 24 October was 181,997 people, with 156,724 in Liberia, as against 203,723 people, including some 176,293 in Liberia on 19 September. (i.e. a reduction of 21,596 people, representing a 10.6 percent decrease in the total number on 19 September. Table of Ivorian refugees as at 24 October 2011 (source: UNHCR) Burkina Guinea Sierra Country Guinea Mali Ghana Togo Benin Niger Senegal Gambia Fao Bissau leone Refugees/ Asylum 2 480 120 972 15 810 4 761 742 96 58 78 94 62 seekers Liberia The total number of Ivorian refugees in Liberia stands at 156,724. Overall, the number of people who spontaneously returned from Liberia since mid-April was 132,913, with 59,000 confirmed by the UNHCR. In the same context, there are spontaneous and gradual returns of Ivorian refugees from Liberia. Between 14 September and 23 October, when the conditions for the reception of voluntary returnees, 7,914 people, i.e. 2,983 households,