Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Duékoué (Agenzia Fides) - The arrest of Laurent Gbagbo, the outgoing president of the Ivory Coast who does not recognize the election of his successor, Alassane Ouattara, does not put an end to the tragic situation that is crossing the country's population. The Salesians in Duékoué are, through the Spanish Catholic Ong Manos Unidas launching a new appeal, received by Fides
Father Vicente, Spanish Salesian who has been in the African country for many years, along with eight other Salesians has accepted in his parish about 20-25 thousand people so far who live in terrible conditions. The attack on the city on March 30, by the rebels who support the elected president Alassane Ouattara, has caused such a number of refugees, more than what the parish can hold.
"The first few days - says father Vicente - we were able to do something only for the children. We gave them energy bars to eat since there was nothing else. For four or five days we were without water or food, with thousands of people without means of subsistence. " Now the situation is, so to say, 'normalized': the water comes for 6 hours a day (three in the morning and three in the evening) and some humanitarian agencies distribute food. " A new refugee camp, however, is necessary, because people can no longer continue to live under these conditions" emphasizes the Salesian addressing his appeal to humanitarian organizations, as well as ACNUR and International Organization for Migrants.
"The hygienic conditions are dramatic - continues the missionary -. There is a risk of cholera. The most important thing is that these people go to their homes, their villages, but this area of the country was seriously affected by armed conflict and people are afraid to return. For us it is important to help these thousands of people, orphaned children and elderly in particular. " (AP) (Agenzia Fides 14/04/2011)
