Following the crisis in Ivory Coast, Handicap International is caring for vulnerable people injured in the fighting, and supporting refugees who fled the violence.
© B. Darrieux / Handicap International
The humanitarian crisis in Ivory Coast has gone largely unnoticed by the world but refugees and injured people are still living in precarious conditions. According to the UN, one million civilians were displaced by the fighting and some 100,000 Ivorian people fled to Liberia.
The consequences for refugees who have been forced to leave their homes could be catastrophic. Many people are living in temporary camps in Liberia, others relying on Liberian families who have taken them in.
Hospitals in Ivory Coast were overflowing with injured people caught up in the violence. Many people have suffered bullet wounds and other serious injuries that could be fatal or lead to permanent disabilities.
In the midst of this crisis, vulnerable, disabled and injured people are particularly at risk of being forgotten. With your support, Handicap International will be able to meet their most urgent needs.
Our actions
Given the extent of the violence in Ivory Coast, many disabled people had to flee the country, leaving everything behind. To support them, our teams around the border with Liberia distributed equipment they desperately needed such as walkers, crutches, pressure relief mattresses, and adapted footwear.
We also set up three Focal Points inside Liberia to enable our staff to reach disabled and vulnerable refugees located along the main roads. From these bases, we sent out our mobile teams to isolated communities. We also worked to improve accessibility of latrines and water pumps, and inform vulnerable populations about the aid available to them.
We are also continuing to support injured people in six hospitals in Ivory Coast, Our team is running a number of activities, including physiotherapy sessions and immediate post-operative follow-up care, early rehabilitation for patients still in their hospital beds and joint exercises. More than 500 people have already received rehabilitation care from our team.
We urgently need your support now to carry on helping those who need us the most. Your gift, whatever the amount, represents concrete help, hope and support to vulnerable people. Please, if you can, donate today
