Thousands of refugees flee Darfur after bombings

UP TO 12,000 refugees from Sudan’s Darfur region have fled across the border to neighbouring Chad after the latest air strikes by the Sudanese military and thousands more may be on their way, the UN refugee agency said yesterday.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it was scrambling to rush aid to refugees who are escaping bombings on Friday of the west Darfur towns of Sirba, Sileia and Abu Suruj.

About half of the refugees are in the Chad border city of Koruk and “are feeling terrified”, said UNHCR spokeswoman Helene Caux.