With Vitamin Angels working in over 40 countries worldwide, it is an unfortunate reality that occasions may arise when our team has to keep a close eye on the political stability of a country for the safety of our own team, our field partners, and the children we serve. Our focus is currently being drawn to the people of the African country of Cote d’Ivoire, where recent political clashes have left many dead.

Recent tensions and violence arose in the country as a result of a disputed election back in November, when presidential candidates Alassane Ouattara and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo both claimed a win. According to an article in IRIN News, a new wave of violence began after a raid on January 11^th by armed men loyal to Gbago, who has refused to relinquish his seat although organizations such as the UN have identified Outtara as the victor. The Jeunes Patriotesa, a pro-Gbagbo youth group, announced a rally on the day of the raid, leading to violence that left nine dead. The group has been listed on European Union and UN sanctions because of violent riots that forced the evacuation of several thousand foreigners in 2004.   

Abodo resident and unemployed mechanic Ta Pi described the current situation to IRIN.“‘Around midnight we started hearing bursts of gunfire every 10 minutes… Even this morning we were frightened to leave the house.”

Vitamin Angels President and founder Howard Schiffer has been planning a trip to Cote d’Ivoire since early last year to meet with our distribution partners, MAP International. With MAP, we are currently reaching 3,214,000 children in the country with vitamin A. Because of the recent violence, Howard’s trip may unfortunately be cancelled, but we will keep you updated as we continue to dialogue with our partners about the current events and their assessments of their surroundings. MAP staff is currently forging ahead with their programs while taking safety precautions as they continue to provide nutrition and health care to the women and children of Cote d’Ivoire. As the turbulence grows, our concern for both the health and safety of the children and mothers affected grows with it and we hope that our programs will be able to continue to provide nutritional support to those we serve.

Read IRIN News article >>

Check out photos of a 2010 vitamin A distribution, courtesy of MAP International. >>