OCHA Situation Report No. 19
Cote d'Ivoire
4 - 11 September 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. Political and Security Situation

The former Head of State (1993 -1999), President of the Democratic Party
of Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI) Mr. Henri Konan Bedie, returned to Cote d'Ivoire
on 11 September 2005 after a year long absence. He was met at the
airport by the high ranking PDCI officials including the Secretary
General, Mr. Djedje Mady, and the Prime Minister of the Government of
National Reconciliation, Mr. Seydou Diarra. During the press conference
held at the PDCI headquarters, Mr. Henri Konan Bedie was very concerned
about the worsening security situation in zones under Government
control.

On 8 September 2005, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi
Annan, declared on the French Radio (RFI) that presidential elections
were not feasible on 30 October 2005 in Cote d'Ivoire because the
conditions for free, democratic and credible elections have not and will
not be met by the end of October 2005. The leader of the Forces
Nouvelles, Mr. Guillaume Soro, in a statement to the press at Cotonou,
on 10 September 2005, endorsed UN Secretary General's view that
presidential elections would not be possible on 30 October 2005.
However, he called on the President Gbagbo to step aside by this date in
favour of a transitional authority.

II. Humanitarian Situation

Water and Sanitation

The OCHA field office at Korhogo reported that the SODECI water supply
network has been rehabilitated and became operational since 5 September
2005, as a result of support of humanitarian partners, in particular
CICR and UNICEF. SODECI distributes 2000 m3 of water on rotational basis
to one third of the population every 48 hours. Local authorities called
on the population to use water sparingly and to pay their bills
promptly.

Korhogo OCHA field office reports continued water supply difficulties in
the northern city of Bouna. The power generator for the pump broke down
last week. The European Union (EU) is planning to deliver a new
generator towards the end of October to ease the power supply problem.

Health, incl. Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

MSF-France is pursuing its health assistance programme at the Guiglo
Nutrition and Therapy Centre. OCHA-Guiglo reported that the Centre
treated some 70 to 75 undernourished children. The MSF-France dispensary
at Nicla refugee camp treats between 150 and 180 patients every day.
Malaria is the most frequent disease encountered.

The Nigerien contingent based in Fengolo provides villagers with medical
care because of the lack of any other medical structure in the area.

The Radiology Department of the Bouake Hospital (CHU) that has been
inoperative since the beginning of the crisis will be opened shortly.
MSF-France has indicated that initially the Department will provide
treatment to in-patients only (i.e. those admitted to hospital).

Education

A four-party meeting was held on 9 September 2005 between the Minister
of National Education, Mr. Amani N'guessan, the Forces Nouvelles, the
Defence and Security Forces and the Impartial Forces. Participants
discussed the issue of the organization of school examinations in the
areas under Forces Nouvelles control. The Minister informed the meeting
that the school examinations scheduled for 12 to 27 September 2005
postponed for one week in those areas for security and financial
reasons. Mr. Amani called on all parties to take steps to ensure that
examinations are held in a climate of security.

Protection

AWECO-Guiglo (a local NGO) organized an HIV/AIDS information and
education session for displaced persons and refugees peer educators at
the Nicla refugee camp, which was facilitated by HCR and CARITAS. Some
29 people were trained at the NGO's new premises. Condoms were
distributed to the refugees. In addition to its activities at the
refugee camp, AWECO will conduct HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Violence
(GBV) education and information activities at and Temporary Transit
Centre (CATD) camps.

The OCHA-Man field office reports that MSF-Belgium continued to deploy
mobile clinics at Bangolo and Kouibly. ODAFEM (Organization for the
Development of Women's Activities) is training 100 educators within the
framework of the programme aiming to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among
children aged between 12 and 18, and soldiers.

A joint team of OCHA-Bouake, UNICEF, WHO, WFP and ONUCI/Human Rights
conducted a mission to N'gattadolikro (40 km of Bouake on the
Bouake-Yamoussoukro axis) to assess the situation of some 116 persons
blocked at N'gattadolikro since 24 August by the Defense and Security
Forces (FDS). People in question, mostly agricultural workers and
businessmen from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, were heading to their
places of residence in Cote d'Ivoire after a short stay in their
respective countries. Apparently, to let them through the checkpoint,
FDS requested bribes that were refused by the transporters. Following
the inter-agency mission, the migrants left N'gattadolikro on 09
September 2005 proceeding to their respective localities in South and
West of Cote d'Ivoire.

This week, WFP distributed over 89 tonnes of food to the population in
the Pehe and CIB area. Under the lowland rice-farming project, 300 boots
and 300 hoes were distributed to 300 people at Duekoue, in the
confidence zone stretching from Baoubly to Bahe Sebon and Diorouzon.
Another 1025 people at Pehe were given 15 tonnes of food aid. Further
food assistance of 1.6 tonne was provided to 102 Fengolo villagers.

FAO completed the airlift of 05 tonnes of rice and 02 tonnes of corn
seeds to the Chantier Colonel area on 6 September 2005. The following
villages and hamlets were assisted: Flandougou, Oulaipleu, Chantier
Colonel, Douepleu, Tiepleu, Gbapleu, Gbahapleu carrefour (Junction),
Goholou and Bougalou.

The initial results of the survey jointly conducted by the humanitarian
food security sector group (WFP, FAO and NGOs) on the progress of the
2005-2006 farming season in the Savane region indicates that the basic
conditions for a good harvest are just not there. In most of the
villages the rains arrived in mid-May/early June and were irregular.
Farmers interviewed said that if the rainfall pattern continued harvests
would be lower than in the previous season. The situation calls for a
careful monitoring by the food security sector group.

Social Cohesion

The Government of National Reconciliation in collaboration with UNDP
organized a national workshop on social cohesion from 12 to 16 September
2005 at Grand Bassam.  Some 200 people are taking part in the forum
centered on the theme " Local Communities and the Process of Social
Cohesion ". Participants are involved in workshops addressing various
topics, like " Schools and Social Cohesion ", and " The Defense and
Security Forces and Social Cohesion ".

Two local NGOs, OFACI and Regard des Femmes, visiting Guiglo expressed
their intention to contribute to the social cohesion process in the
Moyen Cavally region. OFACI is seeking to identify an area in which to
work in since Kaade village has now entered the reconciliation process
with support of CARE International. The second NGO, Regard des Femmes,
obtained funds from UNOCI under the "Inter/intra-community social
cohesion programme through women and youth groups".

OCHA-Guiglo field office facilitated a joint UNICEF/UNOCI DH mission to
Fengolo on Thursday, 8 September 2005. The mission noted the start the
rehabilitation by ONUCI of houses destroyed during the inter-community
strife last March (10 out of 20 houses have already been rehabilitated).
The Fengolo Returnees Committee said that as of 12 September 2005, 398
people, mostly women, had returned to the village.

III. Humanitarian Co-ordination

OCHA-Bouake conducted the 16th coordination meeting in the year of the
humanitarian partners of the Bandama Valley on 9 September 2005. During
the meeting, local humanitarian staff denounced racketeering at police
check-points in town and at the exit of town. They recommended that the
impartial forces approach the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles
(FAFN) to ease the situation.

IV. Resource Mobilization (11 September 2005 according to FTS)

No new contributions have been reported by FTS " Financial Tracking
Service"

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