Both incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and opposition challenger Alassane Ouattara held swearing-in ceremonies and claim to be running the country. Gbagbo still controls the presidential palace and government buildings, according to Reuters. Ouattara is operating a parallel administration from a hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s largest city.

The African Union, the United Nations, and world leaders such as President Obama recognize Ouattara as the winner based on election commission results. But the country’s highest legal authority, the Constitutional Council, has declared Gbagbo the victor, backing his allegations of election fraud.

The African Union is mediating the crisis. Washington is prepared to impose sanctions on Gbagbo and his family if he fails to recognize Ouattara as the election winner.

SOS Children’s Villages Not Currently Affected

Ivory Coast, in French known as Côte d'Ivoire (the country gained independence from France in 1960), lies on the Atlantic Ocean between Liberia and Ghana. It is the world’s largest cocoa producer, but poverty and illiteracy rates are high, leaving behind children whose families are unable to raise them.

SOS Children’s Villages has provided loving homes and schooling to vulnerable children in Côte d'Ivoire for almost four decades. Local SOS staff report that the charity’s two Children’s Villages are so far unaffected by the current political crisis. But residents worry about an escalation of violence. (Ouattara’s supporters have been protesting on the streets and last week four people were killed in clashes in Abidjan.)

For security reasons, SOS-Ivory Coast has revised the working hours of its staff in both Abobo-Gare and Aboisso to guarantee that they can get to and from work safely.

Providing Education, Medical Care, and the Way to a Better Life 

Two children reading in the library at the SOS Kindergarten in Abobo-Gare

The SOS-run kindergartens in both Abobo-Gare (outside of Abidjan) and Aboisso, further east along the coast, mainly serve local children who are not from the SOS Children’s Villages. These and other local SOS schools have been very effective in raising education standards. SOS also helps needy families, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS, and strengthens families by teaching parenting and small-business skills so that parents are better able to care for their children.

During crises, whether they are man-made or natural, SOS is on the ground to help not only the children directly under its care but local children and families in need of emergency aid.

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