EC increases its funding for Côte d’Ivoire five-fold

A five-fold increase in the European Commission’s humanitarian aid to the victims of the mounting violence in Côte d’Ivoire was announced 17 March. The European Commission has pledged an additional €25M on top of the initial €5M allocated in December 2010. A Commission press release reads that the total amount of €30M is both for people in need inside the country, and refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries – particularly Liberia, which hosts the largest group of Ivorian refugees. The Commission states that over 380,000 Ivoirians have been driven from their homes by the violence that has engulfed the Côte d'Ivoire since mid-December and around 80,000 of them have fled to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The urgent needs of the locally displaced population and of refugees have been “rising sharply”, but until now “the violence had hindered a full assessment of humanitarian needs”, states the EC press release. Despite the security risks observed by the Commission, it affirms that the Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) is working with partner relief organisations to identify the most urgent needs and to deliver an effective European humanitarian response. The Commission says there is a “growing concern” that the overall socio-economic situation in the country is “rapidly deteriorating”. It has detected shortages in fuel, cooking gas and drinking water as well as electricity cuts. In terms of human rights, many violations were reported by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in his 15 February report on the human rights situation in the country,notably: extrajudicial killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, excessive use of force, destruction of property by armed forces and incitement to violence by state television. Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, said: "The situation is rapidly deteriorating on the ground and this calls for an urgent and strong humanitarian response." She added: "In just a few weeks, the number of refugees has doubled and the number of displaced people has increased five-fold. There are at present an estimated 380,000 displaced persons and refugees. Today's increase in aid will allow us to provide immediate relief to these people many of whom have fled unspeakable violence." According to the Commission’s release, this new funding will help improve conditions by providing shelter, food assistance, healthcare, water, sanitation and protection activities to both people in need inside the country and the refugees beyond the Ivorian borders. For more: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm