UNICEF moves to help children affected by conflict

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), in conjunction with Save the Children-Sweden and other partners, has concluded plans to assist vulnerable children affected by the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, UNICEF reported on Wednesday. The assistance would go mainly to children in the commercial capital, Abidjan, and the rebel-held towns of Bouaké and Korhogo, 350 km and 634 km north of Abidjan respectively. It is also planned to establish a humanitarian corridor to allow distribution of relief items in the conflict zones. "UNICEF is worried about the plight of women and children affected by the crisis, particularly those displaced. Children are paying a heavy toll. They risk malnutrition and trauma," Georgette Aithnard, UNICEF country representative said. "I am also worried about the use of children in armed conflicts." The crisis started on 19 September when mutinous soldiers attempted to topple the Ivorian government. After being repelled in Abidjan, the soldiers seized control of several central and northern towns, including Bouake and Korhogo. UNICEF said it had distributed medicine and supplies to thousands of people who had fled Bouake and sought refuge in transit points between Bouake and the capital, Yamassoukro. UNICEF has also identified a logistics base in Yamoussoukro and delivered supplies to Bouaké and the nearby locality of Brobo, including enough medicine for 30,000 persons for three months. "UNICEF will reinforce transit points [...] as well as reception centers receiving children who are unable to leave town, working closely with Médecins sans Frontiers and Catholic missions," UNICEF reported. In Abidjan, UNICEF said it was supporting reception centres for displaced persons and that it had supplied medicine to a centre in Abidjan run by the Bureau International Catholique pour l'Enfance. The centre was also helping street children, who number about 10,000 in Abidjan. Meanwhile the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has set up a base in Bouaké for more effective operations, in cooperation with the Ivorian Red Cross. ICRC said in a statement that it was assisting the Catholic mission in M'bahiakro (a transit point between Bouake and Yamoussoukro) and various local institutions in another transit point, Didiévi, to give temporary shelter to those who have fled Bouaké. On 11 October ICRC also delivered mats, blankets, soap and sheeting to 4,000 displaced people sheltering in the Catholic mission in the western town of Duékoué. And, in coordination with the Mali Red Cross, it distributed emergency food supplies to 600 Ivorian refugees in Zégoua and Sikasso near the Ivorian border.