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Thousands of Ivorians Seek Refuge at a Church in Cote d'Ivoire

An estimated 10,000 Ivorians are seeking refuge at a church amid mounting international concern about the humanitarian situation in the West African nation.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire has deployed troops to a key town in the country's west to protect the civilians.

The internally displaced persons (IDPs) sought shelter at a church in Duékoué earlier this week as the town became engulfed in fighting between forces backing Alassane Ouattara, who won the UN-certified and internationally recognized presidential run-off election last year, and the forces behind Laurent Gbagbo, who lost the poll but has since refused to step down from the presidency.

The UN mission, known as UNOCI, dispatched a team yesterday to both Duékoué and Yamoussoukro, the capital, to see how the UN can help IDPs and other civilians caught up in the increasingly heavy violence in those areas. Yamoussoukro has reportedly been captured by the pro-Ouattara Forces Républicaines this week.

"The humanitarian situation is dramatic and every day that passes the suffering of the population increases."-Hamadoun Touré, a spokesperson for UNOCI

Up to 1 million people have been displaced by the violence that has swept the divided country since the disputed election last November, and top UN officials have warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Côte d'Ivoire. Many people have fled to neighbouring Liberia, putting a severe strain on that country's resources.

Source: United Nations