COTE D'IVOIRE VIOLENCE A MAJOR RISK, WARNS EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

(Dakar/New York, 13 January 2011): The humanitarian consequences of the violence in Cote d'Ivoire will rapidly worsen if the political crisis is not urgently resolved, warned United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos.

Over 23,500 Ivorians have already fled to neighbouring countries over the past five weeks - the vast majority to Liberia - amid growing fear and insecurity in the wake of the disputed presidential election. An additional 16,000 people are internally displaced in western Cote d'Ivoire. Women, including pregnant and nursing women, and school-age children represent the majority of those currently fleeing violence/threat of violence.

"The current crisis in Cote d'Ivoire threatens the lives and livelihoods of many thousands of Ivorians," warned Ms. Amos. "A peaceful and rapid solution to the crisis is critical for the people of Cote d'Ivoire and for the region as a whole. It is important that all parties refrain from inflammatory rhetoric, hate speech and incitement to violence to ensure that the situation does not escalate any further."

Humanitarian organizations are doing their utmost to ensure that aid reaches the needy, especially women, children and the elderly, as quickly as possible. In Liberia and in western Cote d'Ivoire, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations have already started distributing food and non-food items. Aid and staff are also being pre-positioned in other countries that border Cote d'Ivoire. Over the past few weeks, contingency plans have been extensively revised to ensure the UN and its partners stand ready to respond in case a major humanitarian crisis unfolds.

"To ensure effective implementation of humanitarian activities, it is essential that a conducive environment is created and maintained," said Ms. Amos. "There are continuing allegations of serious human rights violations from around the country. The violence has already caused a 10-fold increase in internal displacement in the space of a few days, showing how quickly a political crisis can have grave humanitarian consequences."

For further information, please call:

Nicholas Reader, OCHA-New York, +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117, reader@un.org

Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org

Yvon Edoumou, OCHA-Dakar, +221 33 869 8515, mobile +221 77 569 9653, edoumou@un.org

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.

For more information about CERF, please see http://cerf.un.org