More than one million people have fled their homes in Côte d’Ivoire due to fighting and unrest. A massive exodus is taking place with 110,000 refugees so far, the vast majority seeking protection across the border in Liberia. Needs for aid in West Africa develop rapidly as a humanitarian crisis unfolds day by day.

While thousands are fleeing everyday now, many continue to be trapped inside Côte d’Ivoire where little or no aid is reaching. Insecurity forces aid agencies to close down and work only in neighbouring countries.

The Danish Refugee Council and other international aid agencies have already been working for several months with increased support for refugees and host communities in Liberia.

New violent clashes in Côte d’Ivoire have sparked a massive exodus with more than 110,000 refugees now in Nimba County in Liberia. There, a number of aid agencies are positioned and able to address needs. However, the response is still to a limited extent only as thousands of new refugees arrive in Liberia every week and the financial support for the Côte d’Ivoire crisis is still inadequate.

“Resources are scarce, both in terms of shelter, access to water and local food supplies, but also due to limited responses from international donors. There is a need to understand the scale of this humanitarian crisis very soon in order to secure a better response,” says Claus Larsen, head of section in the Danish Refugee Council.

Aid agencies are falling short of funds with the current resources allocated for West Africa no longer matching the needs. Only half of the USD 146 million UN appeal for Liberia has been funded so far, and for Côte d’Ivoire less than half of the USD 32.7 million needed has materialised. More funds are crucial in order for the international community to be able to address the situation in Liberia and respond to the pace with which the humanitarian crisis unfolds.

The West African state has slipped into chaos and fear of civil war in Côte d’Ivoire. Since the November 2010 election resulting in change of power, the incumbent President Gbagbo has refused to step down. His opponent Ouattara was declared as the winner of the election, a result recognised internationally.

The Danish Refugee Council has worked in Liberia since 1998 and in Côte d’Ivoire since 2003.

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