Côte d'Ivoire, a pillar of stability in the region, is facing a major humanitarian challenge. According to estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the country could host more than one million people under its mandate by September 2025, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons.

To support this national response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) officially launched humanitarian aid of more than one million US dollars ($1,036,416) on Tuesday, November 11 in Abidjan.

Key figures from UNHCR in Ivory Coast

The data from September 2025 demonstrates the scale of the situation for UNHCR:

1. Recognized refugees: 2,376 people.
2. Asylum seekers: 69,845 people awaiting a decision.
3. Current registrations: 7,065 people.

These figures highlight the constant pressure on Ivorian reception structures, fueled by crises in neighbouring countries such as Liberia, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali.

Regional aid for a "declaration of shared humanity"

The ECOWAS initiative was welcomed by Ivorian authorities as concrete proof of West African solidarity. During the ceremony, the representative of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbé, emphasized the Ivorian government's commitment.

"Côte d'Ivoire, with its generous heart, has opened its arms to those seeking refuge," she said, adding that managing refugees and displaced persons is "not an act of charity, but a declaration of shared humanity" and a common responsibility of member states.

Priorities for the $1,036,416 aid package:

The allocated funds will be managed in collaboration with UNHCR and the Ivorian authorities, focusing on several key areas:

Area of intervention	Main objective
Financial and food assistance	Direct aid to populations and provision of food to host communities.
WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene)	Installation of electric pumps and improvement of access to drinking water in rural host areas.
Reintegration and Documentation	Distribution of non-food items and issuance of travel documents to facilitate the social and economic reintegration of refugees and stateless persons.

A tradition of hospitality in the heart of an unstable region

For decades, Ivory Coast has established itself as a natural refuge. The country has welcomed successive waves of Liberians fleeing the civil wars of the 1990s and 2000s, as well as, more recently, Burkinabe and Malians displaced by insecurity in the Sahel.

The Ivorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the national asylum policy is based on the protection of fundamental rights and international cooperation, welcoming the strategic role of ECOWAS in implementing a collective response.

As Sahelian crises, the effects of climate change and political tensions continue to multiply population displacements, this support from ECOWAS fills a crucial gap and underlines the need for a structural and sustainable response .

The cooperation between Côte d'Ivoire, ECOWAS and UNHCR is now considered a potential model for managing migration challenges on the continent.