Ivory Coast refugees emergency

Fleeing violence

Violence broke out in the Ivory Coast in January. Since then, refugees have been fleeing to Liberia to escape the heavy fighting. But Liberia is an already extremely poor country that is still recovering from the devastating effects of its own 14-year civil war. 

As the fighting in the Ivory Coast intensifies, the number of people arriving in Liberia is rising dramatically. This situation will be made more challenging by the imminent onset of the rainy season.

Interview

Listen to Concern's Ros O'Sullivan speaking about the crisis on BBC's Evening Extra:

Listen in background

Concern is there

Concern is dealing with the crisis. We are providing people in local communities and refugee camps with clean, safe water, sanitation and household kits and latrines. 

Concern’s overseas director, Paul O’Brien, said:

Right now people are focused on high profile crises in Libya and Japan. But this hidden emergency must not be forgotten and the world must not lose sight of other urgent humanitarian crises in countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and, indeed, the wider Horn of Africa.

The people fleeing the violence have few belongings and many of them will have been on the move for weeks. At the same time, many local families in Liberia who are taking in these people are, themselves, in some of the poorest areas of the country. Access to food, water and shelter is critical now.

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