OCHA Situation Report No. 24
Cote d'Ivoire
9 - 16 October 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. Political and security situation

The spokesman of the Forces Nouvelles (FN), Sidiki Konate, speaking in
an interview with AFP on 14 October 2005 observed that in approving the
decision of the African Union (AU) to maintain President Laurent Gbagbo
in power after 30 October, the UN Security Council continued to lead
Cote d'Ivoire into an adventure. According to OCHA-Man, the discontent
of the FN and their various declarations are creating a psychosis of
uncertainty among the population for the coming days, particularly on 30
October 2005.

On the occasion of the celebration of the International Peace Day, ONUCI
organized, on 14 October 2005 in the Daloa West Sector, a forum on the
role of the United Nations in the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire. The
objective of the forum was to enable the authorities and populations in
this region to have a better picture of the role and actions of ONUCI in
Cote d'Ivoire. The ONUCI representative read the messages from the UN
Secretary General and his Special Representative in Cote d'Ivoire, Mr.
Schori. The programme of the forum also included various presentations
and discussions, recreational activities, lunch, visits to information
stands, cultural shows, projection of video films and photo exhibition
on UN peacekeeping efforts.

II. Humanitarian situation

Humanitarian access

OCHA-Man reported that during the week of 09 - 16 October 2005, a UNDP
mission travelling to Man and Zouan Hounien was refused access to the
region by the authorities of the Armed forces of the Forces Nouvelles
(FAFN), as they had not received prior notification of the visit. The
team was therefore compelled to return to the Government-controlled
zone. Besides, the poor state of the roads and bridges in the 18
Montagnes region continue to limit access of humanitarian workers to
vulnerable populations in zones affected by the conflict.

Population movement

The inter-agency operation for the return of displaced persons at the
Catholic Mission in Duekoue was pursued during the week, resulting in
the return of 279 people to Diourouzon village on 13 October 2005. On
the whole, 1017 people were transported to 11 localities from 07-13
October 2005, with the support of IOM and the Impartial Forces. HCR and
IOM provided non-food assistance (blankets, mats, cooking utensils) for
the returnees and the operation went well, thanks to the good
collaboration between the humanitarian agencies and the impartial forces
in the field. WFP will continue to provide full assistance to 1017
displaced persons in the 11 villages concerned until 19 October 2005. On
18 October 2005, a meeting was held between the humanitarian actors,
local authorities and Impartial Forces in Duekoue to assess the first
phase of the operation in order to plan and organize the future return
of displaced persons.

As part of the concerted project on assistance for the return of
displaced persons from Duekoue, ICRC Man is prepared to include
returnees from Diourouzon (276 people) and Guinglo-Scropan (80 people)
in the non-food assistance programme for vulnerable populations
identified in the confidence zone. The ICRC project will concern food
assistance for 3200 vulnerable people and non-food assistance for 5000
people in the villages of Dieouzon, Trogi, Diourouzon along the
Zou-Zeregbo main road.

Water and Sanitation

On 11 October 2005, the Water and Sanitation Sector Group held its
monthly meeting in the offices of the NGO ARK in Korhogo. Several items
were on the agenda, including notably the development of the strategic
plan. The plan, which has already been elaborated and amended by the
various actors of the group, should be available by next week. Other
examined issues concerned the difficulties facing certain actors during
the diagnosis of 700 pumps under the UNICEF-DHH-NGO tripartite
programme.

According the OCHA-Man, IRC is pursuing the repair of village pumps and
promoting hygiene in 248 villages in the 18 Montagnes region. Twelve
(12) new villages have been targeted in the Zou region. However, work in
the above-mentioned villages is facing some implementation difficulties
due to the poor state of the roads and bridges.

Health, including Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

The NGO Save the Children UK initiated on Friday 14 October 2005 the
first mobile clinic operation in favour of returnees from Fengolo and
Baoubly, with medical kits received from UNICEF.

Given the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Korhogo region, the
NGOs have instituted a framework for consultation and concerted action
called "Network of HIV/AIDS Control Actors". The network initially aims
at channelling the activities of each of the 10 structures composing it.
The network is currently chaired by the NGO IDEAL (Initiative for
Development and Free Africa). IDEAL, in partnership with the NGO
Alliance based in Abidjan, has strengthened, through a project, its
components on care and support for people living with HIV in the Korhogo
district.

OCHA-Man reports that UNICEF has just completed the first phase of the
primary healthcare programme launched in the 18 Montagnes region, which
consisted in facilitating access to care by supplying drugs to health
structures in the region. The major constraint during this period was
the refusal of the healthcare staff to return to the 18 Montagnes
region, where 80% of the health structures are now open to the public,
but only 40% have qualified staff. In the second phase, UNICEF will
focus on the quality of care, particularly rehabilitation and equipment
of health structures, redeployment of qualified health staff, retraining
and training of staff, vaccination and epidemiological surveillance.

WHO is pursuing its programme of support to health departments in the
areas of epidemiological surveillance and expanded programme of routine
immunization (EPI) in the 18 Montagnes region. For the EPI, three main
diseases are targeted: poliomyelitis, measles and neo-natal tetanus.

Operational humanitarian actors in the 18 Montagnes region have
expressed concern over the withdrawal of the NGO ACF-France on 31
December 2005 and the interruption of the programme on treatment of
cases of malnutrition from 1st November 2005. To date, ACF-France is
providing care and support for 86 children suffering from severe
malnutrition at the Therapeutic Nutrition Centre (TNC) in Zouan Hounien
and 300 cases of moderate malnutrition in the three (3) Supplementary
Nutrition Centres (SNC) in Bin-Houye, Tiapleu and Zouan Hounien.

Education

The Regional Education Office (DREN) held a meeting with officials of
public and private schools and colleges in the Moyen Cavally and 18
Montagnes regions on 12 October 2005, at Duekoue with the participation
of OCHA-Guiglo. The discussions were mainly focused on the suspension of
the end-of-year examinations and the situation of the teaching staff.
The participants at the meeting observed that the shortage of teachers
remains a major obstacle in the attainment of the education objectives.
The examples given were as follows:

- Bangolo: out of 26 teachers, 10 departures were registered;

- Toulepleu: absence of registered teachers since 2004. The Departmental
Council cannot pay for the salaries of the replacement teachers in
2005-2006;

- Guiglo/Blolequin: 2 months salary arrears have resulted in the
departure of some teachers.

>From 12 - 14 September 2005, the Forces Nouvelles (FN) held, in
Korhogo, a seminar on school examinations in the FN-controlled zones,
with the participation of education actors in the Savanes region. At the
end of the seminar, it was decided that the examinations in FN zones
will be held from 16 - 30 November 2005. The re-opening date of the
2005-2006 academic year was fixed on 17 October 2005.

A UNICEF mission visited the Savanes region from 12 - 14 October as part
of activities aimed at encouraging the return of children, especially
girls, to school. In view of the blockage resulting from the failure to
organize the examinations, the mission held meetings with the formal and
informal education partners to initiate new partnerships and intensify
those already existing.

Protection

Mr. Peter Neussl, Adviser for displaced people at the OCHA-CI Office,
was on mission to the Moyen Cavally region as part of the establishment
of measures to protect displaced persons. To that end, he was
accompanied by the staff of OCHA/Guiglo, on his visits to the heads of
communities and authorities of the sub-prefecture of 9 villages
identified for the return of displaced persons with a view of
establishing and intensifying peace committees in the villages concerned
as well as in Duekoue.

The NGO AID is on mission to the West since 13 October 2005, in the
framework of the implementation of social cohesion activities in Fengolo
and surrounding localities in accordance with the recommendations of
IAHCC.

Food Security

WFP/Korhogo has announced the end of its "bridging period" programme,
which benefited a total of 4178 farmers.

During the week of 09-16 October 2005, FAO distributed vegetable seeds
and farming implements (hoes and rakes) to 1040 beneficiary households
in the Nidrou, Bone, Man and Danane localities out of the 2500
households targeted for this campaign.

Economic recovery

A mission from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO) visited the Savanes region from 13 - 14 October 2005 under the
emergency programme in support of the productive sector. During the
working session at OCHA-Korhogo on 14 October 2005, the UNIDO delegation
expressed satisfaction at the motivation and level of the artisans and
groups of economic actors, and the existence of various sectors,
including shea-butter, vegetable gardening, food processing (dryers).
The mission also observed the absence of loans and savings facilities to
support these groups, some of whom also expressed the need for training
in management.

Poverty reduction

As part of the celebration of the International Day for Poverty
Elimination, celebrated every 17 October, since 1992, the Ministry of
Planning and Development of Cote d'Ivoire and the Humanitarian
Coordinator, accompanied by representatives from UNICEF UNFPA, UNIDO and
IOM visited the "Family" project in Zouan Hounien in the Danane region
on 14 October 2005. Projects visited included valley rice projects,
cattle rearing projects, a health centre and pump repairers and drying
areas, the depot and site for installing the rice polishing unit. These
projects, implemented by the Congregation of Capuchin Minor Fathers in
Zoan Hounien, were funded and supported by UNDP, FAO, WFP and IOM.

IV. Resource mobilization (25 September 2005 according to FTS)

Out of a total of USD 36.470.706 estimated in the revised budget for CAP
2005, USD amount of 14.520.903 or 39.80% is currently available. Since
last week, the funding has increased by 2.362.657 dollars or 6.5%, with
contributions for FAO (USD 300.000) and HCR (USD 1.962.657).

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