The number of Ivorian refugees now stands at 159,000, dropping from 178,000, after completing a verification exercise. Thorough house to house checks were also carried out, which also discovered some abandoned shelters and deregistered occupants. 19,000 decrease is due to refugees who had returned to their places of origin. A total of 9000 ration cards have been handed over to UNHCR Liberia from Abidjan. These have been deregistered from UNHCR data base. During the reporting period, refugees started returning to Côte d’Ivoire in large numbers.

IVORIAN REFUGEE STATISTICS AS OF 6 OCTOBER 2011

Refugee Statistics in Counties as of September 29, 2011

Border Monitors, Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization personnel from Toe Town informed UNHCR that trucks crossed the border, reportedly carrying 306 refugees. Among other reasons, the refugees returned out of fear of potential violence as Liberia goes to the polls. The refugees returned mainly to Blolequin region, Tuloplei and Guiglo. The 78-km Butuo-Bahn road has been declared open to UN vehicles. This decision followed extensive renovation work done by the Ministry of Public Works and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). The road offers the shortest route to relocation communities but has not been used in recent times due to its deplorable condition. UNHCR, through its partner DRC, has been working on the road since March 2011 and has built more than four  bridges with additional bridges under construction. From 26 to 30 September, a joint assessment, led by LRRRC/WFP, other UN agencies, donors and NGOs, was conducted on food flow to Code d’Ivoire from border villages in Nimba County. The recommendation of gradual decrease of food distribution to the refugees (who are thought to be often crossing the border) has been put before the government for endorsement.On 4 October, 254 Ivorian refugees were relocated from the Bawaydee, Janzon Axis to the PTP Camp. It was the first relocation to the camp that did not originate from the Zwedru Axis. 1,887 children were immunized for different antigens with 422 children immunized against measles in response to the six suspected cases reported from Grand Gedeh and Maryland Counties respectively.   To read more

The ONE UN weekly Humanitarian Sitrep is compiled by OCHA & reviewed / issued by the Humanitarian Coordinators Office,
Monrovia, Liberia