In a sweeping humanitarian operation on Tuesday, the Ivorian Minister of Women, Family and Children, Nassénéba Touré, led efforts to remove more than 100 vulnerable children and young mothers from the streets of Bouaké, a central city in Ivory Coast facing a growing problem of child homelessness.
The early morning initiative—part of a broader National Emergency Plan—resulted in 105 individuals being taken off the streets. The group included six young girls, eight young boys, thirty young mothers, and sixty-one children. They have now been placed in a government-run reception centre offering safe and dignified living conditions.
“All measures will be taken to provide these children with better living conditions; this is a firm commitment,” said Minister Touré during the operation, reaffirming the government’s promise to tackle the issue of street children with urgency.
The operation took place just days ahead of the country’s 65th Independence Day celebrations in Bouaké. Officials say the timing highlights the government’s symbolic and practical commitment to social welfare, especially in major cities.
“Children do not belong on the streets, but in schools,” Touré emphasized, adding that the campaign would continue across all cities in Ivory Coast until the problem is fully addressed. She also noted that a large number of the rescued children were of foreign nationality, and her ministry is working with the relevant embassies and consulates to prepare for their return.
“Ivory Coast is a welcoming country, but we refuse to allow these children to live in unsanitary and degrading conditions,” she said, strongly criticizing the poor environments in which many of the children had been found.
The mayor of Bouaké, Amadou Koné, visited the reception centre and praised the government’s action, calling the children’s living conditions satisfactory. He reiterated the city’s commitment to supporting this national initiative aimed at the permanent removal of children from the streets.
This campaign is part of the Ivorian government’s larger goal to eliminate child homelessness permanently. Minister Touré called for united support from civil society, NGOs, local authorities, and the public to join in the fight for every child’s right to a safe and dignified life.
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