EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR UNDERSCORES NEED TO PROTECT CIVILIANS, HUMANITARIANS IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR UNDERSCORES NEED TO PROTECT

CIVILIANS, HUMANITARIANS IN C ÔTE D’IVOIRE

ABIDJAN/NEW YORK, 15 February (OCHA) -- “The United Nations humanitarian organizations in Côte d’Ivoire are doing impartial, neutral and apolitical work to assist people in a situation of great need,” Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, affirmed this morning at the start of his three-day mission to the West African country.

In a public statement after meeting with Ivorian Foreign Minister Youssouf Bakayoko, Mr. Egeland said the targeting of and attacks against the staff and assets of the international humanitarian organizations working in the western Ivorian town of Guiglo was to be deeply regretted.  “The Government has assured me that it will not happen again, and that actions will be taken to prevent it,” he confirmed.

“We want to continue our work.  There are many organizations here to help,” said Mr. Egeland.  “We will have regular meetings with the Government to discuss concrete measures to protect civilians and the neutrality of our work.”

Also today, Mr. Egeland met with the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Coordination Committee to discuss humanitarian concerns and priorities.  Later today, he will brief the press on the humanitarian situation in the country and the response of the United Nations agencies and their partners.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator is in Côte d’Ivoire to reaffirm the necessity for all parties to respect the principles and laws governing humanitarian action and humanitarian space.  During his mission, he will visit beneficiaries of humanitarian action and meet with the Government, other key stakeholders and representatives of the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners.  He also intends to bring all relevant actors to commit themselves to respecting the freedom of movement, protection of civilians and security of humanitarian workers.

For further information, please call: Pierre Marie N’Gore, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA)-CdI, +225 2240 5172, mobile +225 0769 2094; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-CdI, +225 2240 5181, mobile +225 0707 2709; Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile +41 79 473 4570.

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For information media • not an official record