OCHA Situation Report No. 27
Cote d'Ivoire
31 October - 6 November 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. Political and Security Situation

The Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, acting as a mediator in the
Cote d'Ivoire crisis, undertook a short visit to Abidjan on 05 November
2005 to meet the main protagonists of the conflict. His main objective
was to find a candidate of compromise for the post of the Prime Minister
for the transitional period. Before leaving Abidjan the Nigerian
President together with Laurent Gbagbo held a press conference to take
stock of the results of his mission. He pointed out that the new Prime
Minister would be known in a week or two. Regarding the present Prime
Minister, Seydou Diarra, Mr. Obasanjo declared that in a new situation a
new person would be needed. He said that he had a list of the candidates
in alphabetical order that he would submit for examination to the UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, South African President Thabo M' Beki and
President of Niger Mamadou Tandja. Mr. Obasanjo explained that his
methodology consisted in gathering proposals of all parties concerned.

The Communications Officer of the Forces Nouvelles, Alain Lobognon,
declared to the AFP news agency that the Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo met with the Forces Nouvelles leader Guillaume Soro in Bonn
(Germany) on 06 November 2005 on fringe of the Africa Summit. According
to Mr. Lobognon, the meeting concerned the nomination of the new Prime
Minister in Cote d'Ivoire.

OCHA-Guiglo reported that FDS/ONUCI joint military patrols are conducted
in Duekoue and Guiglo 3 times during the day and twice at night.
However, the Police Forces remain reluctant to take part in these
patrols and discussions are under way to find a framework of their
participation. Moreover, since October 20th, 2005 the FDS (Defense and
Security Forces) received reinforcements (70 policemen) deployed in
certain villages of Blolequin and Toulepleu Prefectures.

Within the framework of the Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration (DDR) Programme, UNICEF signed three (3) projects with the
Guiglo Social Centre concerning the reintegration of ex-child soldiers.
The projects provides for the professional training of 50 children.

II. Humanitarian Situation

Humanitarian access

This week, a routine patrol of the ONUCI Military Observers reported
that some Dozos (traditional hunters) mounted road blocs on the Dananne
Zouan-Hien road to extort money from the civilian travellers. Following
the sensitization by the Military Observers, the Dozos accepted to
remove the roadblocks.

Water and Sanitation

Copies of the signed agreements concerning the repair works of 700 water
pumps in the villages financed by UNICEF have been transmitted to
OCHA-Korhogo this week for further dispatch to NGOs: ARK (Animation
Rurale de Karhogo), NTN (Our Nourishing Earth), IDEAL (Initiative pour
le Developpement en Afrique Libre), PSCD (Programme Sante Communautaire
et Developpement) and ILEES (Organisation Ignace Loyola d'Etudes
Economiques et Sociales). In total 55 267 854 CFA F will be released in
first installment for all the NGOs concerned out of the total funding of
CFA F 96 977 395.

The NGO CARE International handed over 400 garbage bins to the Korhogo
municipality as part of the city sanitation programme. In total, CARE
International transferred to the city 1600 garbage bins. At the same
time, a sensitization was carried out through community radio stations
to encourage the population to make good usage of these garbage bins.

Health, incl. Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

The mobile clinic managed by the NGO Save the Children - UK resumed
activities in Fengolo on 04 November 2005. According to this NGO, the
most common diseases treated in the clinic are malaria, STI and
diarrhoea.

OCHA-Man in collaboration with UNICEF plans to meet Biankouma Public
Health Officials to discuss the deployment of the qualified nurses to
Sipilou. At present, the population of Sipilou (approximately 30.000
people) have no access to medical care. As part of the public healthcare
service, UNICEF handed over medicines to the Public Health Department of
Man intended for the regional public healthcare facilities, including
Sipilou. The International Red Cross Committee (IRCC) is committed to
the rehabilitation of the Sipilou Hospital on condition that qualified
personnel would be assigned there. However, funds allocated to the
rehabilitation have to be spent before the end of the IRCC 2005 fiscal
year.

Education

The 2005-2006 academic year has not yet started in the Region of 18
Montagnes, meanwhile OCHA-Korhogo reported that the Forces Nouvelles
(FN) Authorities postponed the reopening of the new academic year from
17 October till 07 November 2005. In total there are 387.208 children of
school age in the FN Zone among which 130.377 in Bouake; 100. 979 in
Korhogo; 72.386 in Man; 68,971 in Odienne; 10.021 in Vavoua and 4.474 in
Bouna. According to OCHA-Bouake, the start of the 2005-2006 academic
year in the Forces Nouvelles Zone fixed on 07 November 2005 has been
effective though timid, as many schools remained closed.

Protection

The meeting of the Protection Sector Group held in Bouake on 02 November
2005 studied the problem of sexual violence and sexual abuses in the
region. It was pointed out that for some time the prostitution is
growing in Bouake and, particularly, prostitution of minor girls.
According to the participants, this phenomenon could be explained by the
failings of the education system and the general decline of living
standards in the Forces Nouvelles Zone. The Group decided to continue
the information gathering in order to work out a strategy in cooperation
with local authorities.

On 04 November 2005, Korhogo Protection Sector Group studied the case of
02 girls of 11 and 12-year-old who suffered from inhuman treatments.
Participants were informed that the file was referred to the Forces
Nouvelles Civilian Office. One of the children still did not returned to
his parents and is under the care with the NGO ARK (Animation Rurale de
Karhogo).

The NGO MIDH and the International Red Cross Committee (IRCC) reported
that in Korhogo the local Police often conduct arbitrary arrests and
imprisonment. According to OCHA-Korhogo, after numerous interventions of
ONUCI a young assistant to veterinary surgeon of the 14th district of
Korogho was released last week from the local police detention
facilities where he spent 08 months without any legal explanation.

The ONUCI Human Rights Section conducted a visit to the Prison of Man
last week and reported the poor penitentiary conditions of 104
prisoners. Prisoners have only one meal per day. ONUCI requested that
WFP consider the possibility of food support to the prisoners.

Food Security

On 04 November 2005, the International Red Cross Committee (IRCC) handed
over 9000 kg of rice, 3000 kg of beans, 1500 litres of oil and 112 kg of
salt to 132 families (about 750 persons) of Trogui in the Department of
Man.  This donation is intended to help the Trogui population to deal
with the food shortages prior to the December harvest.

IV. Resource Mobilization (30 October 2005 according to FTS)

No new contributions reported by Financial Tracking Service (FTS)

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