Ivorian refugee crisis in Liberia – in pictures

This group of refugees fled their village when rebels arrived and opened fire. They had to step over the bodies of their dead neighbours as they fled. They left another 500 refugees on the border when they crossed to enter Tempo town last week Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

Thousands of Ivorian refugees fleeing the violence following last year's disputed presidential election are coming to Liberia every day. Exhausted, malnourished and vulnerable to disease, Merlin warns of a looming humanitarian crisis if support is not increased Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

The violent aftermath of November’s disputed presidential elections have displaced 500,000 people in Abidjan, according to the UN. Last Friday, the UN said up to 100,000 people had crossed the border into Liberia, often crammed into cars or trucks for the long and perilous journey Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

During a rebel attack in his village, Simon Taye Guombleon, 30, reached out to grab his sister but was shot in the hand, losing two fingers. He ran away and does not know what happened to her. He is being treated at a Merlin hospital in Zwedru, Liberia, awaiting news Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

A doctor treats a refugee’s gunshot wound at a clinic in Zleh town. The doctor worries that "it could turn into the same thing that happened here in Liberia" during the 1990s. Merlin, which has provided healthcare in Liberia since 1997 – working through the civil war - is launching an emergency response to support the Ivorian refugees. This week, the UK government pledged £16m to support refugees in Ivory Coast and Liberia Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

This man, who walked for days carrying heavy bundles of his belongings, is undergoing surgery for urinary retention. Refugees are arriving with a wide range of health issues, putting a strain on local resources. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs appealed in January for $32m to tackle the crisis, but so far has only received a fraction of the amount Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

A baby is examined at a health centre in Tempo town. There is an impending food shortage in the county of Grand Gedeh. Food stocks have been depleted and food can no longer be imported from Ivory Coast. Oxfam is concerned the situation could become Africa's forgotten crisis Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

Zleh town clinic has seen patient numbers swell by 33% in recent weeks, overwhelming staff and supplies Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

Merlin already supports 76 primary healthcare facilities in six counties, reaching more than 1 million people. It recently deployed a new mobile clinic to support the refugees, but with tens of thousands arriving every week, more are desperately needed Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin

The Toe town transit centre is usually used to register incoming refugees, but now provides shelter to more than 350 people, many of whom pile up on the floor or sleep outside, leaving them vulnerable to mosquitoes and malaria. The UN high commissioner for refugees, António Guterres, warned last week that the influx of refugees threatened Liberia's eight years of peace Photograph: Simon Rawles for Merlin