IVORY COAST: Families fleeing violence find sanctuary in a church

Record ID: 182057

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Families fleeing violence find sanctuary in a church
  • Date: 2nd March 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) ANGE DESIRE HELIASSON, HEAD OF THE PARISH OF ST AMBROISE DU JUBILE CHURCH SAYING "At the moment, we actually have two types of people. Those who come and spend a day or two in the hope of continuing their journey. There are those who stay a day and some who stay two or three days. We try to offer the ones that leave other means of transport. Some kind spirited volunteers are also offering trucks to help them continue their journey." VARIOUS DISPLACED WOMEN AT REGISTRATION (SOUNDBITE) (French) MARCEL BROU KOUADIO, PRESIDENT OF ST AMBROISE YOUTH SAYING "After analysing our data, we have realised that most people are coming from PK 18 and Avocatier, these are the two areas producing the most displaced people."
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVAAVTMBOCI4E46SX9BEJAATITGC
  • Story Text: At the gates of Saint Abroise Church in Abidjan, volunteer youth gather in the early morning to greet scores of men, women and children arriving with rapidly packed belongings stuffed into bags.
    Fleeing areas in the country wracked with spiraling violence, some come in search of food and shelter on their way to safer areas.
    Others have nowhere else to go.
    "At the moment we actually have two types of people. Those who come and spend a day or two in the hope of continuing their journey. There are those who stay a day and some who stay two or three days. We try to offer the ones that leave other means of placement. Some kind spirited volunteers are also offering trucks to help them continue their journey," said Ange Desire Heliasson, head of the church parish.
    Fighting has widened in the last week between supporters of Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent leader who has refused to step down after a disputed November 28 election, risking a slide back into civil war in the world's top cocoa grower.
    Fighting has mostly been restricted to northern pro-Ouattara suburb of Abobo, where an insurgent force calling itself the invisible commandos has seized control of most of the territory and forced out pro-Gbagbo security forces Constant gunfire and fighting in some neighbourhoods has forced many civilians to lock themselves in their homes or flee to safer areas, leading to an exodus of people and raising fears of a looming humanitarian crisis.
    Volunteers registering people arriving at St Abroise Church say most come from districts around Abidjan where fighting between security forces and militias loyal to Gbagbo has been heaviest.
    "After analysing our data we have realised that most people are coming from PK 18 [a district in Abidjan] and Avocatier, those are the two areas producing the most displaced people," said Marcel Brou Kouadio, a youth volunteer registering arrivals.
    Many of those arriving come with bullet wounds and other injuries after being caught up in fighting.
    "The most urgent need that we're talking about are linked to health, the need for medicines is also linked to hygiene, which is also linked to the need for shelter," said Christian Bosson, a representative for the international aid agency the Red Cross.
    Other volunteers help families make arrangements for more permanent places they can stay.
    "We can't abandon them, that's why we have come here so we can protect them and their children," said Solange N'guessan, an international volunteer working at the church.
    Earlier this week President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern at the escalating violence in Ivory Coast.
    Their voices join the chorus of African and international leaders putting pressure on Ivory Coast's embattled leaders to find a peaceful solution to the political standoff.
    The UN says over 300 people have died in fighting since November.
    The crisis has had a catastrophic impact on Ivory Coast's economy, with international banks shutting down, shops shuttering up and bars and restaurants empty at night.
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