Côte d'Ivoire: Greater security allows humanitarian access to IDPs
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 6 May 2011 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Côte d'Ivoire: Greater security allows humanitarian access to IDPs, 6 May 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4dc7d2532.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Improvements in recent days in Côte d'Ivoire's security situation have enabled humanitarian agencies to access IDPs in some areas in the west and in parts of Abidjan which were previously inaccessible. After former president Laurent Gbagbo was arrested on 11 April, military forces loyal to President Ouattara were able to regain control of the Yopougon neighbourhood in Abidjan at the beginning of May. However this followed heavy clashes with pro-Gbagbo militias which caused new displacement.
As humanitarian agencies regained access, they were able to gather better information on the numbers of IDPs and their needs. IOM, UNHCR, OCHA and the UN Evaluation and Coordination Team estimated after a joint assessment mission in the west that some 150,000 people had been displaced there by the beginning of May. The number of IDPs registered at 31 sites had dropped from 35,000 to 14,000 by then, as people had started returning to their homes. However, while some humanitarian agencies have been making plans to facilitate the return of those IDPs who want to, return is still too dangerous for tens of thousands of displaced people in the west.
