Parts of Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan resemble a "war zone", the UN refugee agency head in the West African nation, Jacques Franquin, told the BBC. He also said that UNCHR staff in the west of the country had been withdrawn to Abidjan for their safety. "The situation is deteriorating rapidly," he said. Tensions have been rising since President Laurent Gbagbo refused to hand power to Alassane Ouattara, widely seen as the winner of November's poll. Mr Franquin's comments come as UN peacekeepers in country say they are overstretched and cannot provide security for all civilians. Violent clashes On Thursday, security forces shot dead six women marching in support of Mr Ouattara in the northern Abobo neighbourhood of the city. "We are overstretched in terms of patrolling. We conducted over 865 patrols last week. You can't be in every corner of the city," UN spokesman Hamadoun Toure told the BBC. The pro-Ouattara stronghold of Abobo has seen violent clashes for nearly two weeks and the UN estimates some 200,000 people have fled the area. "The situation is making it impossible to reach people who are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," Mr Franquin said. The UNCHR was setting up networks using local non-governmental organisations to help those displaced from Abobo and in the west of the country, he said. Mr Toure said the UN had received two helicopter gunships this week and he hoped the situation would improve with the arrival of more peacekeepers. African Union heads of state who are attempting to resolve the crisis are due to meet in Mauritania later on Friday. Source: BBC