The United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI) on Wednesday condemned the increasing cases of deadly clashes in various towns of Cote d'Ivoire, especially in the economic capital Abidjan.
It appealed for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the camp of the president-elect, Alassane Ouattara, and that of the country's outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo.
On Tuesday night, an ONUCI medical clinic received 18 victims including three women and a baby, who were injured by a hand grenade thrown at them by unknown people. ONUCI said another person at the scene died before receiving treatment.
The UN mission said it was important for the two camps to stop an escalation of violence and called on the country's political leaders to demonstrate wisdom and restraint.
ONUCI affirmed that it was still available to make its contribution in the efforts to restore peace and end the suffering of many people in Cote d'Ivoire. This, it said, would be done within its mandate and given the resources at its disposal.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 37,000 people have fled Abidjan and the western part of Cote d'Ivoire.
The UNHCR also reported that more than 77,000 Cote d'Ivoire nationals have been registered as refugees in Liberia and a total of 500,000 people have fled the country.
Since the Nov. 28 presidential election, Cote d'Ivoire has been embroiled in a political crisis in which both Ouattara and Gbagbo claim the presidency.
Ouattara was declared the winner by the electoral commission, but a day later, the Constitutional Council invalidated the results and announced that Gbagbo had won.
Despite numerous mediation efforts, Gbagbo has refused to cede power to Ouattara who is internationally recognized as Cote d'Ivoire's president-elect.