Conflict-affected families receiving assistance from relief organizations in Côte d'Ivoire.

USAID/Lily Frey

In 2011, conflict resulting from the disputed presidential run-off election in late 2010 led to extensive displacement throughout Côte d’Ivoire and into neighboring countries, primarily Liberia.  As of September 2011, more than 150,000 people remained displaced within Côte d’Ivoire, primarily in Abidjan and western Côte d’Ivoire, and more than 178,000 refugees remained in Liberia, according to the U.N.

On October 11, 2011, U.S. Ambassador Phillip Carter III reissued a disaster declaration due to the ongoing complex emergency. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 to date, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided nearly $4 million in humanitarian assistance to benefit conflict-affected populations in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia through agriculture and food security interventions, protection of vulnerable populations, and economic recovery and market systems support.

USG HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED IN FY 2012

^*This figure includes funding for both disaster response and disaster risk reduction activities. (As of September 12, 2012)

Côte d'Ivoire Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #1 (345kb PDF) and map (323kb PDF)

USAID/DCHA Pounds of Prevention - West Africa (278kb PDF)

Key Developments

As overall security conditions in Côte d’Ivoire further stabilize, displaced populations continue to return home from within the country and from Liberia, although localized insecurity—particularly in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire and Abidjan—still inhibits returns to some areas and results in additional displacement.  Relief agencies, including USAID partners, continue to provide humanitarian assistance to returning populations and other conflict-affected people.