Update from Côte d’Ivoire: Political Turning Point, and Activities Continue Despite Conflict
Update April 14, 2011:
Laurent Gbagbo was arrested on Monday, and there appears to be relative calm at this point following additional violence on Monday night and Tuesday. Alassane Ouattara, the president-elect, has called for peace on all sides and there are reports that life is returning to some of its normalcy. Still, as many as 800,000 Ivorians were displaced and tensions between supporters of the two political rival are still strong. Mr. Ouattara is being asked to form an inclusive government and he plans to establish some kind of truth and reconciliation committee.
Some looting and violence is still ongoing, particularly in Abidjan. Our staff in Abidjan have reported that the National Public Health Institute office, in which our office is located, was looted during the upheaval of the past week. Staff were not there and no one was hurt. Our main office in the northern city of Bouaké has remained safe and secure.
April 6, 2011:
The situation in Côte d'Ivoire is changing rapidly. Last week saw increasing violence and a push by forces supporting Alassane Ouattara to take control of key cities in the west. In the past few days, these forces have arrived in Abidjan, and French and United Nations forces also conducted strikes on key locations including heavy weaponry supplies to attempt to persuade ousted president Laurent Gbagbo to finally step down. Yesterday, the military's top generals called for a cease-fire and ordered the army to stop fighting, which seemed to bring some calm to the streets of Abidjan.
The French Foreign Minister reports that Gbagbo is currently negotiating terms of his surrender, but Gbagbo denies this. Some reports indicate that today opposition forces stormed Gbagbo's residence, where he has been holed up in a bunker.
We will keep updating our site as information is available. Read more from an interview with HAI's Director of Côte d'Ivoire Operations, Ahoua Koné, on the situation.
Throughout the past four months, the situation in Côte d'Ivoire has worsened as banks were closed, cash and goods are becoming scarce, and incidents of violence have driven people from parts of Abidjan and the west of the country. International sanctions had brought the economy to a stand-still. With the recent violence, people were afraid to leave their homes, and even if they did, food and supplies were scarce. About 100,000 people have fled to Liberia, out of close to a million who left their homes for safer locations.
Our staff in Côte d'Ivoire were instrumental in continuing to provide health services throughout December and January, the months immediately following the election.
Working with our partners at the MOH and the CDC, we developed a contingency plan in February to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continued to receive care even during the unrest. Under one scenario, our staff and local NGOs would make home visits to people receiving antiretroviral therapy, provide staffing and supervision to health workers at facilities where management teams were absent, collect and deliver medications to health facilities, and coordinate and deliver tests and samples to the few remaining functioning laboratories in the region.
In a case of greater shut-down of health facilities, we were been working with the Ministry of Health to identify which health facilities will continue operating as "reference" facilities to ensure patients can still receive care. In that event, teams of HAI staff would serve as mobile teams that would visit the facilities and provide at least the minimum services like providing ARVs and other essential drugs and treating opportunistic infections.
The northern region where we work has typically been less politically volatile than the capital city of Abidjan, but as the crisis has continued, the bank closure has prevented all businesses and organizations from receiving money from abroad or paying staff. Roadblocks on the route to Abidjan make transporting goods and supplies northwards difficult.
We are hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution to the political stand-off that is impacting all Ivorians, particularly those living with HIV/AIDS. Our team in northern Côte d'Ivoire is continuing to provide a life-line to as many people as possible during this challenging time.
People at the rail station in Abidjan last week, waiting to leave (Photo: Emanuel Ekra/Associated Press)
Past blog posts on this topic:
Jan 24, 2011: HAI Teams in Côte d'Ivoire Continue Work Despite Ongoing Political Turmoil
Dec 7, 2010: Results from Côte d'Ivoire Election Still Contested
Dec 2, 2010: Update on the Elections in Côte d'Ivoire
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