**2.4 Actions on behalf of traumatized people**

Few documents have reported the intervention undertaken since 1999, and few research works have explored this issue. No one can deny that some activity reports did exist, but they are yet to be known by the public. It is only in the course of the 2002 war that we discovered traces of the humanitarian interventions undertaken. Theses and dissertations carried out at National Institute of Public Health (INSP). Unit Taking over an Integrated of Abidjan (UPECI), at the psychiatric hospital of Bingerville (in the district of Abidjan) as well as at the *Centre Mie N'Gou of Yamoussoukro* (Bissouma& al, 2005; Kouadio, 2004; Kouakou, 2003), documented the psychopathological facts and disorders and confirmed the data of the international literature on the social, economic, psychological and medical consequences of the Ivorian war. These consequences may be categorized mainly into an increase in unemployment rate of 87.73% in Yamoussoukro after the war versus 21.82% before the war; an increase in psychological disturbances in the form mainly of anxiety, depressive and psychotic disorders; an increase insomnia, aggressive behavior and psychosomatic disorders, such as high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus; and the non-adaptation of the civilian populations to their host environments manifested by loss of interest in productive activities.

The consequences of this war have been dominated by post-traumatic stress and co-morbid signs with 93% of the victims experiencing sleeplessness and loss of appetite, depression, and an increase in consumption of toxic products(alcohol, tobacco, drug), and a certain degree of loss of social values for most of the population.

War in Côte d'Ivoire and Management of Child's Post Traumatic Stress Disorders 163

road), the impossibility to undertake a regular follow-up, and the persistent instability and

My initial survey carried out during the draft of my specialization in psychiatry dissertation entitled: *"The war and the medico-psychology situations of children received at CGI and colliged case in the community"* formed the background literature for our intervention in the region.

CNW ZONE

TRUSTED ZONE

This map shows the division of Cote d'Ivoire after the outbreak of the War of 2002. The country was divided into three zones (government, CNW zone under the control of the rebels and trusted zone). Cote d'Ivoire has been reunited July 30, 2007. The red line materializes the axis Guiglo-Touleupleu.

GOVERNMENTAL ZONE

As a young psychiatrist leading the team, we were doomed to venture on the slippery field

We had to cross the country from South to West (around 600km) under difficult conditions. We used to leave Abidjan at sunrise to reach *Guiglo* at sunset, most of the time after an endless journey on a car or on a *"gbaka"* (a dilapidated 18-20 seat mini-car). We had to go there at our

own expenses. On site, the NGO personnel organized both activities and sojourn.

insecurity in the zone

Fig. 1. Map of Côte d'Ivoire

of psycho-trauma without reference or theory.
