EU Humanitarian aid for emergency rehabilitation programme in Ivory Coast

Summary: March 19, 2004: Commission grants EUR 25 million for a second post-crisis emergency rehabilitation programme in Ivory Coast (Brussels)

The European Commission has adopted a second emergency rehabilitation programme providing a further €25 million to consolidate the current peace process in Ivory Coast. The objective of this, the second emergency package, is to support the reunification of the country by restoring effective civil administration across the territory, improving civilians' security, and boosting the provision of social services including health and education.

Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Poul Nielson said: "I recently met with Prime Minister Diarra in Brussels. I was then encouraged by the news of the considerable progress that has been achieved in the Ivorian peace process and encouraged Prime Minister Diarra to persevere and pursue the process. With this decision we are clearly demonstrating our intentions to fully support the Ivorians in their efforts to promote reconciliation and create the basis for a renewed peaceful development of the country."

Following the attempted coup of 19 September 2002, the Ivory Coast was thrown into a major crisis which lasted for more than a year. The crisis caused an effective partition of the country in two zones (North and South). The resulting economic, social and political consequences were without precedent in the country's history, with an estimated 3,000 deaths and over 900,000 people fleeing the combat zones. As a result, the level of people living in poverty has now reached 43 % and life expectancy has fallen dramatically from 55 years at the end of the 1980s to approximately 45 years today.

With the signature of a peace agreement in France (Marcoussis) in late 2002 the Ivory Coast has taken its first steps towards a reunification of the national territory. The situation nevertheless remains fragile and in the rebel-controlled north, the absence of a functioning government authority, in particular at the administrative and security levels, obstructs the return of people and severely hampers the revival of activities including any efforts to restore basic social services.

With this new emergency rehabilitation programme, the Commission is seeking to boost a rapid consolidation of the reunification process and to bolster the transition from the emergency phase to the development phase.

Activities will focus on:

Restoring effective civil administration across the territory - In order to promote a quick re-establishment of a civilian administration across the entire territory, support will be given to the restoration and equipping of town halls, prefectorates and other decentralised administration buildings in areas affected by the conflict. In additional to provision of infrastructure and logistical support, some capacity building is foreseen to ease the reinstallation of civil administrators.
Improving civilians' security - With a view to promote the return of displaced people and the creation of safe conditions for a return to normal life, support will be given to reinstallation and rehabilitation in affected areas of police forces, gendarmerie and other security force officials. Rehabilitation of police stations, information campaigns and training and equipment will be provided to the local security forces.
Provision of social services - In order to accelerate the restoration of basic social services, support will be given to the rehabilitation of social infrastructure, including water pumping stations, health clinics, schools and vocational training centres.

Background

In July 2003 the European Commission approved a first €30 million post-crisis emergency rehabilitation programme. This first programme comprises actions for the strengthening of the capacities of the government of national reconciliation, support for the Demobilisation Disarmament and Repatriation programme and the rehabilitation of the infrastructures of the affected areas. In support of the on-going ECOWAS-led peace-keeping operation in Ivory Coast, the Commission granted € 12.5 million in December 2003. The Commission has also allocated a total of €7.24 million through its Humanitarian Office (ECHO) for urgent relief operations to assist victims of the conflict in Ivory Coast.

More information on ECHO activities:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/index_en.htm

For the texts in French and German please go to:

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/04/366|0|RAPID&lg=FR

Ref: EC04-057EN
EU source: European Commission
UN forum:
Date: 19/3/2004

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