PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS, IMPUNITY GRAVEST HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS IN CôTE D’IVOIRE

ABIDJAN/NEW YORK, 17 February (OCHA) -- “The most serious humanitarian challenges facing Côte d’Ivoire today are the protection of civilians and impunity for the criminal acts that have been perpetrated against civilians, as well as the humanitarian agencies working here”, stressed Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator today, at the close of his three-day mission to the West African country.

Addressing the meeting of the International Working Group, Mr. Egeland said he had been profoundly shocked to witness the systematic destruction of the offices of humanitarian organizations in the western town of Guiglo.

“They were pillaged, looted, destroyed and burned”, he stated, adding, “Even the medicines had been destroyed.”  “The United Nations humanitarian agencies will do their best to return to the west as soon as possible, but there are real concerns that humanitarian space is shrinking and that respect for humanitarian principles is eroding.”

“Women and children are being attacked.  Minorities are attacked and abused by illegal militias”, said Mr. Egeland.  Stressing that the militias must be disbanded, he declared that hate radio must be stopped immediately.  “It is as criminal to instigate violence as to carry out violence”, he said.

Speaking on behalf of the United Nations humanitarian agencies, Mr. Egeland said, “The humanitarians do not want to be here forever.  We are asking for resources to find durable solutions.”  Those steps include creating conditions conducive to the return of those displaced by conflict, repatriation of Liberian refugees, and improving access to basic social services throughout the country, in particular in the north.

Noting that he had received assurances from the Prime Minister that he would find a way to ensure that national exams took place in the north within the current school year, the Emergency Relief Coordinator stressed that the Government of Côte d’Ivoire required assistance from the international community to enable the return of teachers, doctors, and other civil servants.

“The humanitarians are hanging on by their fingernails in many areas due to decreasing humanitarian space”, concluded Mr. Egeland.  “We are also receiving too little funding.  International support is desperately needed if we are going to continue to help the Ivorian people.”

During his three-day mission, the Emergency Relief Coordinator has met with a spectrum of relevant authorities in Côte d’Ivoire, including national, local and de facto military leaders.  He also met with humanitarian workers.  On Thursday, Mr. Egeland visited Guiglo to see for himself the destruction wrought upon humanitarian organizations in mid-January.  He also visited the northern town of Bouaké and met with the Forces Nouvelles there.

The humanitarian situation throughout the country has been a source of serious concern since the advent of the current crisis in October 2002.  In 2006, the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners intend to assist vulnerable populations in the areas of food security, health, education, water and sanitation, agriculture and protection.  To that end, the 2006 consolidated appeal for Côte d’Ivoire requests $40.5 million for aid to 3.5 million, including some 700,000 people displaced by the conflict.

For further information, please call:  Pierre Marie N’Gore, OCHA-Côte d’Ivoire, tel.:  +225 2240 5172, mobile:  +225 0769 2094; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-Côte d’Ivoire, tel.:  +225 2240 5181, mobile:  +225 0707 2709; Stephanie Bunker, OCHA- New York, tel.:  +1 917 367 5126, mobile:  +1 917 892 1679; or Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, tel.:  +41 22 917 2653, mobile:  +41 79 473 4570.

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For information media • not an official record