14,000 flee Ivory Coast

People have now been walking for several hours, even days, before they manage to get on barges to the rivers bordering the West African nations.

A few deaths have been reported among the refugees, including a child who drowned during the crossing of a river. Some of the travellers include malnourished children and people with malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea.

"We are referring the most severe cases to Saclepea, a five-hour drive on very rough roads. In some locations without ambulances we are transferring the patients on board UNHCR vehicles," the agency said in a statement.

"Some are arriving with severely swollen feet, like a 75-year-old man whom we transferred from Butuo, one of the main entry points into Liberia. Some families said they had walked three to four days through the bush with little food."

The displacement follows the November 28 presidential runoff, after which the country's Independent Electoral Commission announced opposition leader Alassane Ouattara the winner. But its Constitutional Council declared that incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo won.

Since then, the country has been paralyzed by political stalemate and hundreds of people have died because of the violence.

 Countries and entities such as the United States, the United Nations, and the African Union have already recognized Ouattara as the winner and are urging Gbagbo to step down. Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States on Friday warned they will not hesitate to use "legitimate force" to defuse the crisis if Gbagbo does not cede power.