Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Thousands more flee violence in Darfur

Violence in Sudan's remote western region of Darfur has forced nearly a quarter of a million people to flee their homes this year, increasing the pressure on the humanitarian effort, the United Nations said in a report.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also expressed concern over worsening security conditions in Darfur.

"Over 240,000 people have been newly displaced or re-displaced during 2007," according to the report prepared by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in collaboration with partner UN agencies and NGOs. Thousands of people were fleeing their homes each week, the report added.

It came as the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels prepare for peace talks next month aimed at ending more than four years of conflict that has claimed an estimated 200,000 lives and displaced some two million people from their homes. Follow the story >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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