WUNRN
Attached is the December 23, 2010,
UN Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
Post-Election Violations of Human
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UN Says Thousands of Ivorians Flee
Post-Election Crisis - Mostly Women & Children
The
UN refugee agency reports some 2,000 Ivorians, mostly women and children, have
fled to neighboring
UN refugee spokesman, Andre Mahejic says the refugees do not claim to have been
threatened or attacked by fellow Ivorians.
"They told UNHCR their movement was precautionary prompted by fears of
instability and violence as the political deadlock persists," Mahejic
said. "A first group of 300 refugees reached
A potentially deadly stalemate exists between the self-proclaimed president,
Laurent Gbagbo and his electoral opponent, Alassane Quattara, who is considered
to have won the presidency by the international community.
Fears are rising that the country may break out into civil war as it did in
2002. Last week, the human rights group Amnesty International reported dozens
of opposition supporters were beaten or wounded by bullets, killing at least
nine people.
UNHCR spokesman, Andrej Mahecic says an estimated 1,700 Ivorians have crossed
into Nimba county in northeastern
"UNHCR teams are currently visiting refugees in both countries," he
added. They are scattered in isolated and poor border villages, hosted by local
communities, which have been generously sharing their resources. Our teams,
visiting the border areas are registering the new arrivals and assessing their
conditions in order to respond to their immediate needs. Most of the Ivorian asylum
seekers are in good physical health and in good condition. But, they urgently
need food and shelter to ease the pressure on the local communities hosting
them. They also need clean drinking water, clothing and basic cooking and
hygiene items."
Before the current crisis, the UNHCR has been assisting some 13,000 Ivorian
refugees who fled the 2002 civil war in their country. They remain in exile in
Mahecic says the UNHCR is continuing to monitor very closely the situation in
and around
He says the UNHCR has a regional warehouse in