Government, UNHCR to conduct refugee census

The government of Cote d'Ivoire and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will begin on Saturday their latest census of the country's refugee population. Apart from UNHCR, various UN agencies- UNICEF, WFP, WHO- and the National Statistics Institute are participating in the project, it was announced on Friday.

The census aims to determine the exact number of refugees living in the country in order for the agencies to better assure their protection, the agencies said during a briefing in Abidjan.

Scheduled for 11 May to 15 June, the census will mainly take place in the Zone d'Accueil des Refugies (ZAR- Refugee Host Area) where at least 98 percent of the entire refugee population live. The ZAR, located in western Cote d'Ivoire close to Liberia, was designated by the government because it sheltered most Liberian refugees fleeing war in 1989-1996. Sierra Leoneans also found refuge in the area.

During the last census in 1997, some 210,000 refugees were counted in Cote d'Ivoire, including 160,000 in ZAR and 50,000 in others towns. Most were Liberians. The agencies estimate that the current number is at least 135,000, caused by voluntary returns, displacement and other movement.

In addition to providing specific statistics on age, sex, country of origin, the new census, will also assist the Ivorian government to develop a plan for the ZAR whose social infrastructures, notably schools and health centres, have been affected by the constant increase in population.

Refugees living outside of the ZAR and in urban areas would also be requested to register in one of 274 centres.

The agencies have also conducted activities for state security forces who received bi-weekly information sessions on the issue of refugees, their rights and duties and other issues. In the past, refugees had complained that Ivorian security forces, among other things, did not recognise the refugee ID card which had been issued by the authorities.

The acting UNHCR delegate, Ursula Aboubacar, said Cote d'Ivoire has witnessed a steady flow of Liberian refugees since the beginning of the year.