Map of SOS in the Ivory Coast

February 25, 2011: Gun shots, explosions, and fighting broke out last night in the Abobo suburb of Ivory Coast's former capital city, Abidjan. Today, SOS Children's Villages, which operates two Villages in the country, made the decision to evacuate children and SOS Mothers from the Abobo-Gare Village to another Village in Aboisso, some 68 miles east of Abidjan. If the situation worsens, SOS will consider evacuating all SOS children in Ivory Coast to the Villages in Togo. 
 
SOS is monitoring the status of other SOS facilities in Abobo-Gare including SOS Youth Facilities, Family Strengthening Programs, an SOS Kindergarten, an SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, and a Medical Center.

The National Office of SOS Children’s Villages Ivory Coast was unable to guarantee safe operations of its SOS Villages and programs earlier this week due to the closing and nationalization of banks. The SOS Regional Office for Central and West Africa in Cameroon continues to support SOS Children’s Villages Ivory Coast as best as possible. 

Many people have died in post-election violence.  The increase in violence raises concern that the West African country could slip back into a full-scale civil war. In 2002 and 2003, fighting split the Ivory Coast between its north and south. It is feared that continued conflict could also destabilize fragile neighboring countries such as Liberia.

The situation in Ivory Coast has been critical since the presidential elections in November 2010.

In 1969, Abobo-Gare was the first SOS Village established in Africa.  SOS Children's Villages is uncertain whether they will be able to celebrate a 40th anniversary there this year.