| There has been a new surge of refugees fleeing the fighting in western Sudan. Aid workers in neighbouring Chad say thousands of civilians arrived in the last few days. Many say their villages were bombed and attacked by militias. Most families have walked for days, braving the sandstorms and freezing nights to escape from Sudan. Thousands who arrived in Chad in the past few days are camping out in the open. Some came with herds of goats and camels, many with almost nothing. A six-year old boy called Dahab died of hunger just a few hours ago. He is buried in the sand which swirls constantly around this arid fringe of the Sahara. Dahab’s family are part of a new wave of refugees which has spilled over the border in the last four days, evidence of an upsurge in fighting. Many describe how their villages have been bombed by Sudanese government planes and then attacked by militia gangs on horseback. |