As the political stalemate drags on in Cote d'Ivoire, the humanitarian situation in the countryside and in the main city, Abidjan, continues to deteriorate. In Abidjan, especially, conditions have worsened considerably with sporadic electricity, little food and water, and poor access to medical care for the city's five million residents.
Insecurity prevails in the power vacuum that has emerged since forces backing internationally elected president Alassane Ouattara arrived in Abidjan on Monday to oust incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo. His forces are largely defeated while he clings to power bunkered in his home in the upscale neighborhood of Cocody. Armed men roam the streets there and elsewhere and many residents are too afraid to leave their homes for much needed provisions. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been supporting the Ivorian Red Cross in providing humanitarian assistance. AllAfrica's Cindy Shiner spoke with the ICRC spokesman in Abidjan, Kelnor Panglungtshang, about the city's pressing needs.
Can you tell us about the situation today and what you have been able to do?
At the moment it's relatively calm. We don't hear any shooting or fighting nearby but we know that a lot of places are still insecure. There are people who are armed - not only the ones who are part of the conflict - civilians and others.
It's dangerous to get out. We had a person today who was wounded or hit by a bullet in our suburb and came to our place and our doctor here gave her first [aid] and then she was evacuated to a hospital.
The situation is still very dangerous. People are still at home, still facing a huge problem in terms of food, which is getting scarcer and scarcer. They are still very much afraid. Hospitals have problems with the number of people arriving and the ability to cope with it because they have limited supplies of dressing materials, drugs and other medical equipment.
Some suburbs have no water and or electricity, including some of the hospitals. The company that is in charge of water distribution, they're working on it to get that back on track. We are in close contact with them every day. We are ready to escort them to certain places if they need protection in this regard.
Looting is going on in several places. We get calls from people wounded at home, shrapnel which has landed in their homes, or in their neighbor's home, dead people on the streets or sometimes in their houses. People are sick, unrelated to the conflict. They can't go out, get their drugs, the medical supplies they need. They are simply in dire need. The Red Cross volunteers first aid responders are out. The are going wherever they can as fast as they can, evacuating wounded and sick people, treating them on the spot or evacuating them to the nearest hospital which is safe.
They also distributed some water for about 2,000 people in Plateau, which is in the center of town. We do as much as we can with the limited access that we have at the moment because the security situation at the moment is very, very difficult.
Where is your office located?
We are in Cocody, which is the same suburb as [Gbagbo's home] and the military camp, which is a little bit further away.
That neighborhood is quite volatile at the moment because of efforts by Ouattara's forces to dislodge Gbagbo and his remaining fighters. Are you able to get out at all?
There are armed men around and fighting is going on a little bit further on with heavy weapons. The [Ivorian] Red Cross is based in Plateau, in the center of town, and they're managing to do first aid response. The ICRC - we don't have first aid responders. We only have one medical doctor who is coordinating the supply and the needs of the hospitals, but it is the first responders who are activity out at the moment.
Some of the embassies in Cocody have been threatened by armed men. Have your offices been attacked?
No. At this point in time we have not been directly attacked. Stray bullets can hit anybody so it is never 100 percent safe. We have some residences which are nearby the office so we are sleeping [there] and we have taken in colleagues which live further away. Some of our national staff are staying here to be safer but most of them stay at their homes.
For us the most important thing is the situation stabilizes itself as quickly as possible so the people can get the help they need, either from us or from other humanitarian agencies, or help themselves again. In a lot of places as soon as it calms down people are going out to try to get the provisions they need. Some little markets are open that provide some food because people have no reserves any more.
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There are huge needs. As soon as we can go out properly and evaluate the situation and bring aid, especially to hospitals, which is a priority at the moment, water and electricity to displaced people, which have found refuge in makeshift camps or in churches or mosques. This is the most important part at the moment and then the evacuation of the wounded or those who need medical attention or generally sick people.
Is there any indication of water borne diseases as the sanitary conditions deteriorate?
For the time being we have not followed up that specifically. There had been some indicators before the fighting arrived in Abidjan with cholera in certain areas. We have no indication this has increased, but it is unlikely the situation has improved because there is a problem with hygiene, access to medical treatment and access to vaccines, which is completely interrupted.
What is the risk as this situation in Abidjan is prolonged?
I wish I knew. Since seven days we are here and every time we hope this is now a time we can go out properly ... but it's unforeseeable.
