Côte d'Ivoire

Humanitarian Situation

Following a decade of socio-political turmoil, which ended with widespread armed violence in April 2011, the return of peace has not yet yielded viable solutions to millions of children who remain affected by a silent emergency in Côte d’Ivoire. The humanitarian needs of the population remain a concern to the Government but often go unaddressed in light of multiple priorities faced by the authorities in this fragile post-conflict context. Over 81,500 people are displaced in the country and nearly 82,000 people are refugees in neighbouring countries¹ with little inclination to return because of insecurity, as reflected in the destruction of the internationally displaced person (IDP) camp in Duékoué in July 2012. More than 4,200 preschool-aged and 7,500 school-aged displaced children² do not have access to quality education, mostly because of the lack of classrooms and teachers. Risks of violence and abuse against children and women remain high, worsened by the lack of access to justice for victims, and impunity.³ As a result of inappropriate feeding practices, poor hygiene and limited access to potable water and health services,⁴ 1 in every 9 children dies before the age of 5, while more than 1 in every 4 children suffers from chronic malnutrition.⁵ This situation is compounded by one of the highest neonatal mortality rates in Africa with 41 deaths for every 1,000 live births, maternal mortality at 470 for 100,000 live births,⁶ and just 36 per cent⁷ of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving antiretroviral (ARV) prophylactic treatment in 2011.

Results from 2012

With emergency contributions of US$18,601,728, or 69 per cent of the required US$26,929,000 as of end October 2012, UNICEF and its partners focused their joint response on supporting the most vulnerable populations. This included the provision of essential drugs following the Government’s decision to offer free health services; the improvement of access to health care for pregnant women and under 5 children in 17 districts in the west and the southwest; the reinforcement of the national immunization coverage through expanded outreach activities and the restoration of the cold chain; the provision of preventive and curative services to about 268,000 people living in districts affected by cholera outbreaks; the provision of safe water to 150,600 IDPs; and a nationwide immunization response to curtail polio, with no new cases reported over the last 12 months. UNICEF led the nutrition cluster while also supporting the development and implementation of a nationwide nutrition surveillance system and providing direct support to local NGOs, which significantly increased the national capacity to identify and manage SAM. This resulted in the treatment of 6,953 children with SAM, with a cure rate of 87 per cent. UNICEF also supported the provision of Vitamin A to 6,789,925 children aged 6–59 months and the administration of deworming treatment to 6,141,618 children aged 1–5 years. For the prevention, care and treatment of people living with HIV, over 900,000 adolescents and women received information on the disease with counselling offered to 45,393 people and voluntary testing of HIV and STIs taken by 21,631 people in the west. Of those who were tested, 3,503 new HIV-positive young people and 2,425 women are now receiving ARV treatment. In education, 1,000 teachers have been trained in providing psycho-social assistance to children, and 45 primary schools damaged during the conflict were rehabilitated in the west. Psychosocial assistance was delivered to 68,341 children and 176,470 people were sensitized on the prevention of violence and harmful practices against children.

UNICEF funding requirements for 2013

In line with the country’s 2013 Inter-Agency Humanitarian Strategy in Phase of Transition, which has been developed in lieu of the Consolidated Appeals Process, UNICEF is requesting US$16,470,000 to meet the humanitarian needs of children in Côte d’Ivoire in 2013, and to respond to the possible influx of Malian refugees into Côte d’Ivoire. Failure to mobilize this funding will prevent UNICEF from supporting ongoing efforts by the Government to address unmet post-crisis needs, particularly those of IDPs in the west; upholding children’s rights to education and protection in the delicate transition phase; responding to alarming malnutrition trends in the north; providing basic health care; and ensuring critical coordination responsibility for WASH, nutrition, education and protection activities while the country navigates the delicate path from relief to development.