UNOCI [United Nations Operation in Côte d"Ivoire] is reporting that ONUCI-FM, the UN radio station, is still on the air despite the decision read out last night [10 February] by the National Council for Audiovisual Communication (CNCA) on its suspension. UNOCI explained that this was yet another unacceptable attempt to disrupt its mandate.
In January, UNOCI provided free medical care to 3,099 people, distributed 71,000 liters of water, and conducted 4,822 patrols - nearly 1,000 of those patrols were in Abidjan. Today UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres called for the end of the political stalemate in the country, which is "becoming more deeply entrenched causing the humanitarian situation to get worse and worse". He also addressed the massive displacement of Ivorians and noted a potential negative impact this can have on Liberia, which is temporarily housing 35,000 registered Ivorian refugees. Guterres stated, "Given these circumstances, I commend Liberia for its open border policy and the Liberian people who have so generously opened their homes and shared their scarce resources."
Source: UN Dispatch (New York), 11 Feb. 2011; quoted by BBC Monitoring 12 Feb. 2011
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