Red Cross Blogs

Why are we appealing for money for the Ivory Coast crisis now?

By Sarah Oughton
April 6, 2011 at 5:27 pm

Yesterday, we launched an appeal to help thousands of people affected by conflict in the Ivory Coast – many of whom are fleeing for their lives to nearby countries.

Although it’s only hit the headlines more recently, it’s actually a crisis that has been brewing for several months. Presidential elections took place last November and the outcome has been contested ever since.

This morning, I was asked why the British Red Cross has decided to launch an appeal now, when the media is reporting that the crisis will soon be over and as it’s been clear for some time that many civilians need help.

The answer is that the British Red Cross is part of a global network which includes Red Cross or Red Crescent National Societies in 186 countries worldwide and since December, it has been working actively on the crisis through its Red Cross partners on the ground.

Also, even if the conflict ended tomorrow, the humanitarian needs would not be resolved overnight.

More than one million people have fled their homes since the conflict began, including more than 100,000 who are now refugees in nearby countries – many of whom are in villages just across the border in Liberia.

The refugees include civilians on both sides of the political divide, which means whichever political candidate triumphs, there will likely be refugees reluctant to return home immediately.

Although Liberian communities want to support the Ivorians who’ve fled – particularly as many Liberians were taken in by families in the Ivory Coast when they fled violence in their own country in the ‘90s – the huge number of refugees is already having a major impact on community resources.

Food and water supplies are rapidly running out and the sanitation situation is deteriorating, bringing with it increased risk of diarrhoea and cholera. People urgently need international aid to prevent another disaster for the refugees and their host communities and to ensure they remain healthy.

Since the conflict began around four months ago, staff and volunteers from both the Ivorian and the Liberian Red Cross societies have been responding to the situation and stepping up the response as the humanitarian needs increased.

When any country’s Red Cross is responding to a disaster, it can request additional support from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement should they need help.

Since December, in response to requests from the Ivorian and Liberian Red Cross societies, the British Red Cross has donated almost £500,000 from its Disaster Fund to help respond to the escalating crisis and support people fleeing the violence.

However, the conflict has recently worsened and the humanitarian needs have rapidly increased. As a result, last week a request went out within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for more funding to support the emergency response operation in the Ivory Coast and in the countries refugees have fled to, like Liberia.

This request led the British Red Cross to launch our own appeal. The money we raise will support the Red Cross National Societies helping the most vulnerable in this disaster.

Whatever happens with the fighting today, tomorrow there will still be families who have lost everything and who urgently need your help.

Please donate to our appeal today.

Image © Reuters/Simon Akam, courtesy Trust.org – AlertNet

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Tags: conflict, Ivory Coast, Ivory Coast Crisis Appeal, Liberia

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 5:27 pm and is filed under Emergencies, International, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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