OCHA Situation Report No. 38
Cote d'Ivoire
28 March 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

1. Significant Events/ Highlights

On 28 February, a group of "Young Patriots" attacked 'Forces Nouvelles"
positions in the western town of Logouale, 450 km west of the economic
capital Abidjan, with the aim of "liberating" the area. UN peacekeepers,
backed by French troops, announced on 4 March that it had handed over 85
"Young Patriots" to appropriate authorities. The clash marked the first
serious incident since the November 2004 aerial attacks on Forces
Nouvelles zones. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the incident
and called on protagonists in the crisis "to rein in their militias."
France also condemned the violence. The FN said the attack marked the
"end" of the mediation led by South African President and African Union
mediator, Thabo M'Beki. He called on the FN not to give up on peace
talks.

In a press release on 3rd March, UNSG Annan appointed Swedish diplomat
Pierre Schori as his new Special Representative in replacement of Albert
Tevoedjre of Benin. Schori is to take up his new function in April 2005.

The Director of the Africa Division of the UN Department of Peacekeeping
Operations, Dmitry Titov, visited the country from 18-21 February, on a
mission to evaluate operations within the UN Operations in Cote d'Ivoire
(ONUCI), prior to the expiration of its mandate on 4th April.. During
his visit, Mr. Titov met with President Laurent Gbagbo and other senior
Ivorian politicians.

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, from 3-7 March, visited the
UN mission to emphasize the UN's zero-tolerance policy on sexual
exploitation and abuse.

UNICEF and WHO in collaboration with the ministries of Health and
Population ministries conducted from 25-28 February the first of a total
of five rounds of National Immunization Days (NID) against
poliomyelitis. A crucial part of the campaign for 2005 is the
redeployment of health staff in the north and other FN-controlled areas.

Great Britain's Ambassador David Coates conducted a two-day mission,
from 24-25 February, in the northern towns of Korhogo and Bouake in the
FN-controlled zone to assess the humanitarian situation in the north.

2. Political Situation & Security

The 28 February attack came as a reminder to all those implicated in
solving the crisis and alleviating the suffering of the population, that
much concerted effort needs to be undertaken to discourage the use of
violence and force to solve the crisis. The west remains tense and
unpredictable. The clash between the "Young Patriots" and the "Forces
Nouvelles" led to a number of dead, wounded, population movement and a
rise in general insecurity. The incident prompted the Forces Nouvelles
to beef up their positions along the buffer zone, around their
headquarter Bouake, and to cast into doubt, once again, the mediation of
South African President and AU mediator Thabo M'Beki. Following the
attack, M'Beki declared that this latest incident would not derail him
from his mission. He has invited President Gbagbo, FN leader Guillaume
Soro, RDR leader Alassane Ouattara and former president and head of
PDCI, Henri Konan Bedie, to South Africa on 3 April to continue his
search for solutions.

On 8 March, President Gbagbo made a one-day trip to Nigeria to discuss
the crisis with counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo. On the same day, former
Malian president and Chairperson of the Commission of the Africa Union,
Alpha Oumar Konare, urged members to send more troops to the country.
The Security Council is to meet on 28 March to vote on ONUCI's mandate.

A debate over what will happen if the government is not able to organize
elections in October 2005 made the headlines during the reporting
period. Ruling and opposition party supporters argued, through their own
newspapers, whether President Gbagbo could continue ruling beyond that
date. While the opposition argued that he would become illegitimate and
spoke of a "constitutional void", Gbagbo supporters said there would be
no such void.

The Ivorian constitution in its article 38 says: "In the case of events
or grave circumstances, notably the integrity of the territory or
natural disasters unabling the electoral process or the proclamation of
the results, the president of the commission in charged of the election
informs the Constitutional Court in order for the Court to take stock of
the situation. The Constitutional Court, within 24 hours, decides to
stop or continue the electoral process or to suspend the proclamation of
results. The President informs the Nation in a State address. He remains
in function.

"When the Constitutional Court notes the end of these events or grave
circumstances, it sets up a new deadline not to exceed 30 days for the
proclamation of results and 90 days to hold elections."

3. Humanitarian Situation & Response

3.1 Coordination

British Ambassador David Coates conducted a mission to the northern
towns of Bouake and Korhogo in the FN-controlled areas from 23-25
February. Ambassador Coates and his delegation met with UN and French
military contingents, as well as with the FN military hierachy. In both
towns, humanitarian actors presented humanitarian areas of concern such
as education, security and access to social services.

The African Union's representative in charge of civilian protection in
armed conflict, Mame Madior Boye, traveled to Guiglo on 17 March to take
stock of the situation in the wake of the Logouale attack.

3.2 Population Movements (refugees, IDPs, returnees)

The Logouale incident and subsequent ethnic tensions led to the
displacement of thousands of people during the reporting period. As of
March 13, 1,096 people arrived in Guiglo from Blolequin.  UNICEF
registered them in collaboration with the national Red Cross. They came
from the villages of Bedy Goazon, Douedy Guezon, Beoue, Douandrou,
Gueya, Pohan, Eaglo and Ziglo. One hundred among them found shelters in
Guiglo's town hall building where there is a lack of hygienic
conditions.

Below is a report by IOM- UNICEF detailing those who have arrived in
Guiglo up to 13 March 2005.

|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
|  Village of   |  Total | Number of|   Men   |  Women  |
|    origin     |        | families |         |         |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| BEDY GOAZON   |   426  |    115   |   149   |   277   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| DOUEDY GUEZON |    37  |     12   |    15   |    22   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| BEOUE         |   479  |    129   |   174   |   305   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| DOUANDROU     |    15  |      4   |     5   |    10   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| GUEYA         |     5  |      1   |     3   |     2   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| POHAN         |    17  |      5   |     8   |     9   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| EAGLO         |    40  |      9   |    16   |    24   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
| ZIGLO         |    77  |     22   |    35   |    42   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|
|    TOTAL      | 1,096  |    297   |   405   |   691   |
|---------------+--------+----------+---------+---------|


On March 10, the chief of Zagne Canton in collaboration with other
village chiefs identified a total of 13,165 displaced persons including
28 wounded on the axis Bangolo-Guehebly-Fengolo towards Duekoue. The
table below indicates the population flow per village of origin from the
Bangolo-Duekoue axis to areas in and around Duekoue tow

|----------------+----------|
|  Village of    |    Total |
|    origin      |          |
|----------------+----------|
|  Diourouzon    |    2,600 |
|----------------+----------|
|   Fengolo      |     2412 |
|----------------+----------|
|   Diaouin      |     2340 |
|----------------+----------|
|   Toa Zeo      |     2110 |
|----------------+----------|
|    Gozon       |     1820 |
|----------------+----------|
|   Bahoubly     |      833 |
|----------------+----------|
| Guiglo Soropan |      530 |
|----------------+----------|
|    Blody       |      520 |
|----------------+----------|
|    Total       |   13,165 |
|----------------+----------|


It is estimated that many villages along that axis are deserted after
being attacked and burned down. Humanitarian actors are advocating for a
speedy return to their homes, a scenario that would facilitate the
delivery of aid and assistance.

On 21st February, UNHCR commenced a registration exercise of Liberian
refugees in Danane, in the western part of the FN-controlled zone. UNHCR
estimated that there were around 1900 refugees living in this area. The
exercise was slightly hindered by the Logouale incident. Registration
activities were ongoing in the Nicla refugee camp as well as villages
such as Bin-Houye, Zouan-Hounien, west of Guiglo, at the time of
writing. Liberian refugees remain a vulnerable group in the country. The
Forces Nouvelles have been increasingly suspicious of them, claiming
that some are infiltrators from the government.  At the height of the
war, the government accused them of collaborating with the Forces
Nouvelles.

3.3 Protection/ Human Rights

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, from 3-7 March, visited the
UN mission to emphasize the UN's zero-tolerance policy on sexual
exploitation and abuse. She made it clear that such behavior would not
be tolerated. She also explained the different mechanisms that would be
put in place to prevent UN staff from using their position to influence
vulnerable groups.

The UN mission on 16th March called on the government to investigate the
death of 13 people who died while in police custody. Twelve of them died
on 22 February while one died five days later in a hospital, according
to an ONUCI statement, which also said that all 13 had sustained
injuries from "ill treatment and torture." The 13 were villagers who
lived in the Marahoue National Park, near the central town of Bouafle.
IRIN quoted a UN human rights official as saying that 11 of the victims
were Burkinabes. Last year the authorities summoned all those illegally
living in the national park to leave by mid-January, IRIN reported.

On 19 February, UNICEF officially launched in the western town of Man
its Prevention, Demobilization and Reinsertion program (PDR) in favor of
children associated with the FN. The PDR program will function initially
through two Transition and Orientation Centres (TOC) in Man. Girls are
also targeted in the program. A TOC for girls already exists, and is
currently providing care for some 70 girls and 8 of their children,
according to UNICEF.

On 16 March, the Red Cross-Korhogo launched its "Human Rights project"
which will advocate for the promotion of children and women's rights.
The Spanish Red Cross and the European Union financed the project.

3.4 Food Aid/ Food Security/ Agriculture

WFP is collaborating with partner organizations on an appropriate
response to the population displacement in the west. In addition to its
general rations, WFP has a stock of high-energy biscuits (HEB) that
could be distributed if necessary, the agency noted on 9 March. WFP is
worried about both for the immediate needs of the displaced populations
and for their longer-term food security. April is the planning season
for rice, the staple food in this area. WFP and FAO plan to target 6,000
households in the west around Guiglo and Man through agricultural
activities in April. WFP and FAO worry that if the populations remain
displaced through April, they will miss the planting season.

WFP distributed 97 tons of food to the school districts of Katiola and
Niakaramadougou, near Bouake, to benefit some 6,000 students in its
school feeding program. It also distributed during the last week of
February 169,620 tons of foods, comprised essentially of rice, salt,
sugar, beans, oil, to primary schools in the northern towns of Korhogo,
Ferkessedougou and Boundiali. 26,503 students are to benefit from these
rations for a period of two months.

In the northern town of Bouna, food security is a growing concern.  The
head of the youth association in Bouna informed OCHA-Korhogo on 17 March
of a risk of food shortage in Bouna. The price of some staple foods has
more than doubled. A 5-6 kg bag of corn has increased from 450-500 FCFA
to 1200 FCFA, OCHA reported This situation is due to the fact that
residents, facing dire financial constraints, could not resist to offers
made by traders from Mali and Burkina Faso, two neighbouring countries
whose crops were partially ravaged by locusts during the 2004 harvest
season. The population sold at cut-prices their crops to the point where
whatever food stock they have left will likely end soon. There is also a
shortage of yams on the local market, a crop that is widely produced in
the area.

In Korhogo, a cereal stockage project, which is being initiated by the
food security sectorial group as a tool against farmers selling their
crops at cut-prices, will only be operational next season. However, the
food security sectorial group recommended that all the humanitarian
actors advocate to the communities not to sell off their crops and to
avoid excessive consumption during ceremonies.

UNICEF is supporting the establishment of ten (10) therapeutic nutrition
units (TNUs) in the main regional hospitals in Abidjan (5), the northern
towns of Korhogo and Odienne, Bouake, and the western towns of Zouan
Hounien and Bin Houye, UNICEF said its 7-13 March situation report.
These units should be functioning by the end of April 2005.  There are
currently 90 functioning UNICEF-trained and supported "sentinel sites"
in the west and north (70 in west and 20 in north).  The community-based
sentinel sites monitor the nutritional status of children, and community
health workers will be trained to treat moderate malnutrition, with the
collaboration of WFP.  Cases of severe malnutrition would then be
referred by the "sentinel sites" to the regional TNUs.

3.5 Health incl. HIV/AIDS and Water & Sanitation

The northeastern town of Bouna is suffering from a water shortage that
is growing worrisome. The water shortage started on 9 March when the
generators of the national water company, SODECI, stopped functioning.
According to Doctor Diabate of Bouna's main hospital and the head of
Bouna's youth association, the electrical company, CIE, cut off the
electricity for lack of payment of electrical bills in the
Forces-Nouvelles areas. All three of Bouna's engines that used to convey
water have now ceased working. This last one used to allow for the
distribution of water to 25 percent of the population. The two other
generators stopped functioning two years ago. The prevailing phenomenon
is that women spend all day collecting water, notably in non-potable
wells and low lands. Cases of diarrhoea have been recorded, a situation
that is directly linked to the consumption of non-potable water. The
water issue comes about as Bouna is already struggling with cases of
meningitis. As of 13 March, the World Health Organization reported
officially 27 deaths related to meningitis in the Bouna region. The
ministry of health in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF are slated to
conduct a vaccination campaign next week in Bouna.

In the northern town of Korhogo, access to drinkable water is also
becoming a major concern.  During the coordination meeting held on
Wednesday 16th March, the head of the national water company SODECI, Mr.
Kone, said the lack of rainfall means that there is insufficient water
in the dam. In addition, the water pumps alongside the dam have not
received any maintenance work in the last two years. The imminent risk
is that the pumps ceased functioning, meaning no water for the
population. Another health risk is that a number of women have begun
growing fruits and vegetables alongside the dam using stagnating and at
times pesticide-infected waters. Water cuts have become daily
occurrences in Korhogo.

During co-ordination meetings organized by OCHA-Korhogo, the
humanitarian actors requested on several occasions the presence of a
UNICEF sub-office in Korhogo which would be closer to the realities of
this zone where cases of malnutrition gain ground with a worrying
proportion. It was mentioned to OCHA/Korhogo the particular cases of the
orphan children whose mothers died of HIV-AIDS. Some of these children
admitted in the Koni health centre (located at 22Km away from the centre
town) suffer singularly from advanced malnutrition. Catholic nuns in
charge of the above-mentioned health centre, request the support of
UNICEF for the supply of therapeutic milk. In Koni health centre, 40
children suffer from malnutrition and 6 others are severe cases 3 of who
are affected with HIV.

In Komborodougou health centre located at 24Km away from the centre town
of Korhogo, about thirty children are receiving assistance through the
WFP supplementary feeding program.

A joint project of WFP, UNICEF and the local NGO Solidarites Action
Social was launched on 24 February in Bouake to provide HIV/AIDS
education in schools. Activities include training 480 students to be
HIV/AIDS educators for their schools. In this way, 6,000 students in 30
schools will be reached and HIV/AIDS clubs will be established in each
school.

In Korhogo, local NGO IDEAL received financing from Care International
to allow the implementation of a HIV/AIDS program, notably information
sessions and home assistance to those living with the disease.

Bouake is becoming a cleaner city. According to Care International who
runs an environmental sanitation program, as at 18 March 36 committees
comprising 288 people were involved in cleaning streets and gutters. The
organization plans to build refuse sites and expand its drain-cleaning
program. OCHA-Bouake recommended that, because of the project's success
based on a participative approach, the project should be replicated in
other cities.

3.6 Education

Education was a dominant theme during the visit of British Ambassador
Coates. To make their point clearly, the humanitarian actors took him to
visit a primary school where overcrowding is a serious hindrance to
teaching and learning.

Newly arrived UNICEF representative Youssouf Oomar made a courtesy visit
to the Minister of Education on 10 March.  The question of 2004 exams
for schools in the New Forces-controlled zones was discussed, but the
Minister did not indicate a date for their organization.  Mr. Oomar also
met with OCHA's Head of Office on 14 March to discuss combined efforts
to continue high-level advocacy for the announcement of an exam date and
government involvement in the new school year.  It is estimated that
some 132,000 children are attending unofficial primary school activities
in the New Forces territory - this figure is down from the approximately
360,000 in attendance last year.

Some 4,521 primary school children and another 1,371 children in
secondary school, who were waiting exit exams, have been admitted to
move up a grade based on grades achieved during the school year. School
committee operating in the FN zones took this decision. The children who
have been admitted to continue their studies represented, in terms of
enrolment, 41,66% of primary schools and 36,8% of secondary schools.

Contributions to WFP's 2005 operation in Cote d'Ivoire currently total 5
millions USD or 18% of total planned budget of 28.2 million USD. This
funding level is very low in comparison with the same time last year
when the operation was funded at 69%.

Within the framework of the Consolidated Appeals Process, UNICEF has to
date received Euro 300,000 [US$407,055] from the Government of
Luxembourg for the project "Prevention of HIV/AIDS among youth and
former child soldiers in West and Central Cote d'Ivoire." No other
funding has been received or concretely pledged to date to UNICEF
through the 2005 CAP.  The gap in funding for UNICEF remains
US$16,623,330, UNICEF reported in a situation report dated 6 March.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Ms. Besida Tonwe, Head of Office tel. +225-2240-5175
Mr. Yvon Edoumou,  Information Officer a.i e-mail: Yvon@ocha.ci

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