As Ebola spreads through West Africa, even healthy people are suffering from the disease’s economic fallout. Markets are sometimes closed and travel is restricted.
On 3 October 2011, the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorised its prosecutor to investigate crimes against humanity and war crimes alleged to have been committed in Côte d’Ivoire by the forces of former President Laurent Gbagbo and President Alassane Ouattara.
Jean Djoman, the head of Caritas Cote d’Ivoire emergency team, explains what happened during the months of violence and how Caritas is helping displaced people rebuild their lives.
Almost one year after the election of President Ouattara, and the violence and humanitarian crisis that followed it, Côte d’Ivoire seems to be well on the way towards stabilisation and peace.
As the post-election clashes have again intensified in Côte d’Ivoire over the last weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have left their homes to flee a situation that could quickly turn into a civil war and a lasting humanitarian crisis.
Hundreds of thousands of Ivoirians have already fled their homes to escape the violent post-election clashes in Côte d’Ivoire. Many experts believe Côte d’Ivoire is on the brink of civil war. “There is a generalized fear within the population here that makes us think the situation could escalate”, said Jean Djoman, Director of Human Development ...
Around 500,000 Ivorians have already fled their homes to shelter elsewhere in the country or abroad, and at least 90,000 of them have taken refuge across the border in Liberia. Smaller numbers of Ivorians have travelled to Ghana and Guinea.
“The war in Côte d’Ivoire in 2002 triggered a major humanitarian crisis that spread to the neighbouring countries,” said Jean Djoman, Director of Human Development at Caritas Côte d’Ivoire. “The same mistakes must not be repeated now.” Over a hundred and fifty people were killed in the West African country this December after a disputed ...