Akhir 20, 1432 H/ March 25, 2011, SPA -- The top U.N. humanitarian official on Thursday expressed serious alarm about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ivory Coast. Since the announcement of election results in early December, the humanitarian situation has worsened with sharp deterioration in the last month. More than 460 people have been killed, and many more wounded, including women and children. An estimated 500,000 people have been displaced inside the country, and over 90,000 have fled the country. "The escalation of violence and use of heavy weaponry, particularly in urban areas, is taking an increasing toll on civilians," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said. "I am also concerned about the increasing targeting and harassment of immigrants from other parts of West Africa, thousands of whom are fleeing the country," she added. "The destruction of civilian property, including shops that provide people a way of making a living, is also completely unacceptable," she said. "In such a situation, the ongoing harassment and obstruction of aid workers from NGOs and the U.N., the violation of U.N. humanitarian premises, and the theft of assets of aid agencies, seriously compromise the ability of aid workers to reach people who require assistance," Amos said. "I call on those involved in the violence to respect civilians including aid workers and to allow rapid, safe and unimpeded access by humanitarian organizations."
