Côte d'Ivoire: OCHA Weekly Update No. 17

I. Political and Security Situation

The militia was formally dismantled in the presence of Colonel Guihé Globo, the Military Prefect. Also in attendance at the ceremony were the new Prefects and sub-Prefects of the region, the heads of the militias, PNDDR, the Head of mission of the South African Mediation, UN Peacekeeping forces, traditional and religious leaders, local communities and representatives of humanitarian agencies and of the national and international press. The Head of the Thabo Mbeki Mediation mission in Côte d'Ivoire while recalling the different phases of the Demobilization, Disarmament and Reinsertion (DDR) process stressed in particular the importance of taking care, first and foremost, of the ex-combatants. The next phase of the DDR process will be the dismantling of armed groups at Duékoué.

Ocha-Bouaké reported that, during its coordination meeting of 26 August 2006, the FN/UNOCI liaison officer stated that Forces Nouvelles (FN), in reference to documents regarding the initial delimitation of the zones under the control of the warring parties, stated on 26 August 2005 that the locality of Brobo - presently in the confidence zone - should be an integral part of the zones under their control. Accordingly, the Forces Nouvelles would soon dispatch a detachment there.

II. Humanitarian Access

In the west, access to CIB zones and to Chantier Colonel has been often limited by the bad roads conditions. As a result, humanitarian actors operating in that region agreed to airlift seeds to the areas that are more difficult to access by road. The Defence and Security Forces (FDS) have authorized access by air to CIB and Chantier Colonel. The operation will be conducted by UNOCI/CIMCOORD in the presence of a disarmed member of FDS.

Water and Sanitation

Following an assessment mission of water points in Fengolo, IOM has pointed out that two of the three water points in the parts of the village inhabited by the so called "non-local community" were operational. As a result, OIM decided to create a new water well in the same village quarter and to rehabilitate an old one in the village quarter inhabited by the so called "local community". UNICEF has provided technical assistance by subcontracting a drilling company for the construction of the new water well. The waterworks in the village quarter of the "non-local community" are being finalised. The water bed has finally being reached.

The State Minister of Economic Infrastructure responsible for water affairs together with a large delegation - including directors and officials of the Water Department (DHH) and SODECI - visited the North from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 August 2005. They visited the localities of Korhogo, Boundiali, Kouto, Gbon, Odiéné, Man and Sinématialé to acquaint themselves with water problems at first hand and to see how sustainable solutions to them could be found. Apart from the site visits (dams, wells, pumping stations and water treatment plants) the delegation held discussions with Forces Nouvelles (FN) authorities to solicit their assistance in securing the companies that will be operating in the areas under their control. FN authorities committed themselves to co-operating and protecting the staff and assets of these companies.

At Korhogo CICR and UNICEF are planning to stop water distribution as of 7 September 2005. SODECI has been invited to resume its water processing activities in order to start again normal water distribution activities utilising the water presently available in the water dam. All things being equal, and based on a ration of 2000m3/day the dam can provide water up to the end of February 2005.

Health incl. Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

According to WHO, the national measles vaccination campaign carried out from the 18 to 27 August 2005 was successful in all targeted areas. 10 days after the launch of the campaign, the preliminary results indicate that, out of 8.997.669 children targeted, 6.191.721 children from 9 month old to 14 years were vaccinated, i.e. 68.8% of the total. It was decided to continue the vaccination activities on the ground for two more days in order to ensure the full achievement of the campaign goal. If need be, additional vaccination activities will be organized in those districts that will not be able to achieve a satisfactory coverage.

The local committee of the Duékoué Red Cross immunized children against measles in Fengolo village. AWECO, a local NGO that operated at Danané prior to the crisis, has resumed its activities at Guiglo. It is implementing a HIV/AIDS awareness raising programme at Guiglo and the refugee camp at Nicla. A community-based methodological approach has been developed at Nicla where a training session on HIV/AIDS will be organized together with HCR and AWECO-Ghana medical co-ordinators. Exchanging of experiences will be part and parcels of the methodology that will be put in place to fight HIV/AIDS and gender-related violence (SGBV). The NGO is in discussions with OIM for the sensitization of the displaced persons at the two Temporary Hosting Centers for IDPs (CATD) sites.

Scabies has broken out among displaced persons at the two CATD camps. OIM and Red Cross have launched an urgent appeal to humanitarian organizations to provide dermatitis treatment products for speedy eradication of the disease. OIM has promised to make available its own stocks and has called for consultations on strategies to eradicate these skin diseases. In the coming weeks the Red Cross plans to mount a mission to evaluate community health posts in the villages so as to gradually provide them with basic drugs.

OCHA-Bouaké reports that, according to UNICEF, recurrence of typhoid fever cases in the Bouaké area has led health partners to conduct an evaluation of the health situation. The laboratory at the Saint Camille Centre recorded 242 positive cases in 2004 and 246 cases in 2005. At the laboratory of the Akwaba Centre 33 of the 44 cases tested between June 2005 and August 2005 were positive. The figure collected from the two laboratories of the town where tests are conducted indicate that there is no typhoid fever epidemic in the area.

On 25 August 2005 CICR-Gagnoa distributed non-food items to the population at Fengolo. 233 people living in 39 dwellings were given mats, kitchen utensils, soap, buckets and cloth. In addition, coarse canvass will be sent next week to Kouaro (a village some 10-km from Toulepleu), which hosts 1240 returned IDPs.

CARE International is reactivating the condom distribution circuit in collaboration with Association Ivoirienne de Marketing Social (AIMAS) and Population Services International (PSI) in the Man and Danané areas to make condoms more accessible to people. MSF/Hollande reported that 17 cases of tuberculosis have been identified since the programme went into operation in July 1005. These persons are now under medical care and are monitored by the national programme at Danané. Furthermore, 25% of the consultations carried out by MSF/Holland in the Danané area signalled cases of Sexually Transmissible Diseases (STI). Therefore, to prevent and strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS STI, MSF/Holland has identified the NGO IDE Afrique to conduct education and information operations in the Danané region. Moreover, CARITAS is planning to extend its activities of caring for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children at the localities of Danané and Fakobly.

Protection

At Guiglo, day-to-day management of the temporary hosting camps for displaced persons (CATD) 1 and 2 is progressing satisfactorily. OIM registered 110 children with birth certificates and 256 children over three months without birth certificates. An application for an itinerant hearing has been transmitted to the Court at Daloa to enable the establishment of birth certificates. UNOCI-DH will support OIM in its endeavour to speed up the response.

UNOCI-Human Right section based at Guiglo is pursuing its Human Rights promotion activities through sensitization of various communities in the villages. Its staff is planning to meet the head of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) in the towns of Guiglo and Duekoué to caution against the use of arms in order to curtail frequent blunders against civilians.

Discussions are underway between UNICEF and a local NGO, PAHO at Danané to provide technical backstop for the establishment of a reliable database on assisted children in the area, particularly in the border areas with Liberia where there is a strong probability of finding children involved with combatant forces (so called "children associated to combatant forces").

Food Security

In addition to the assistance given to the returnees in 57 households at Fengolo (monthly rations), WFP will also distribute food during the tie-over period pending the establishment of agricultural projects for lowland rice and vegetables, which FAO will set in place after the farming season for some 200 households. Moreover, the estimated 2900 Fengolo displaced persons still at the Duékoué catholic mission were given food aid.

WFP/Guiglo and FAO carried a weeklong joint mission in the village of Kouaro to assess the humanitarian situation of about 1240 people who returned to the village after the war with a view to provide them with food aid.

During the vulnerable period between two harvests, WFP is increasing food distribution to the vulnerable people in the region of the 18 Montagnes who are recipients of an agricultural sector support programme. Accordingly, people in the localities of Zou, Sipilou, Danané, Bloleu and Fakobly were assisted. At the same time FAO continued to identify households that should be assisted to start horticultural activities. For the time being households at Man, Gbonné, Nidrou, Sipilou, Logoualé and Danané will be given farming inputs and small implements.

As a follow-up to the mission that was organized from 16 August to 18 August 2005 in the regions of the Vallée du Bandama and Les Lacs to assess the humanitarian situation and in particular the food status of displaced persons, WFP has decided to continue for the time being its assistance to 1044 displaced persons of M'Bahiakro and 965 of Priko.

As part of its general assistance to vulnerable persons, WFP has decided to provide aid to the HIV/AIDS patients at the Centre for Information and Voluntary Testing (CIDV) at Bouaké who are not taken care of by the three recognized agencies, i.e. RSB (Renaissance Santé Bouaké) JRS (Service Jesuit aux Refugiés) and CSAS (Centre de Solidarité et d'Action sociale).

IV. Social Cohesion

CARE International based at Man is presently working with so called "local" communities and "non-local" communities in the villages of Kaadé, Guinkin, and Guezon in the Sub-Prefecture of Guiglo in order to foster reconciliation and social cohesion. Meetings have been held with displaced persons living at Guiglo and the Burkinabé community (from Burkina Faso) at CATD. A follow-up action will be undertaken by OIM and CARE International.

V. Humanitarian Co-ordination

To ensure a planned and coherent response to humanitarian action at the localities in the south-west of the country affected by the unending crisis in Côte d'Ivoire since 19 September 2002, a joint evaluation mission by the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Co-ordination Committee, Donors and the Government led by Aboulaye Mar Dieye, Humanitarian Co-ordinator, visited the localities of Tabou and Grabo from 26 August to 28 August 2005. The mission took note of the serious deterioration of public infrastructures and social services in the visited areas, particularly with regard to schools, health centres, roads and bridges. This situation was compounded by a high presence of refugees from Liberia, most of whom are hosted by local families already strained by the hardships of poor living conditions. Care and maintenance of public utility service installations - such as village water pumps - were systematically neglected. Poor social cohesion within local communities also contributes to undermine collective response mechanisms to common problems. The assessment made by the mission is that the humanitarian situation in the visited areas, although distressing, does not warrant an immediate humanitarian response. The mission calls instead for a concerted advocacy action in support of development aid initiatives to rehabilitate local infrastructures and social services. A mission report will be available next week.

VI. Resource Mobilization (28 August 2005 according to FTS)

Out of a total US $ 36 470 706 requested by the CAP 2005 revised budget, US $ 12 158 246 are currently available, i.e. 33.30%.