The United States is providing $12.6 million worth of humanitarian aid for people fleeing the ongoing violence in Cote d’Ivoire, U.S. President Barack Obama has announced.
The emergency funds will support operations benefiting Ivorian refugees in Liberia of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Food Program, International Organization for Migration and select non-governmental organizations.
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund likewise has allocated $6 million to assist Ivorians who have fled to Liberia. The amount, which will be counted against the $55 million appeal for Liberia, will be managed by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization and U.N. Population Fund.
The announcements come amid concerns over the escalating violence in the Cote d’Ivoire. U.N. estimates indicate that more than 350 people have been killed during post-election violence, some 300,000 have been internally displaced, and 72,000 are seeking refuge in Liberia, news agencies report.
Aid agencies said they expect the numbers to rise and warned that the situation in Cote d’Ivoire is fast becoming a “growing, massive refugee crisis,” ABC News says.
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