Refugees from Central African Republic continue to pour into Chad, UN says

The United Nations refugee agency is urgently seeking a new site for Central African Republic (CAR) refugees in southern Chad because the main camp is reaching its 27,000-person capacity and another 2,000 refugees fleeing continued fighting have crossed the border in the past two weeks.

UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Ron Redmond told journalists in Geneva today that Amboko camp, near the main town of Gore, will soon reach its capacity of 27,000 as relocation of 4,000 earlier arrivals from the border to Amboko continues.

Chadian authorities reported the arrival of the added 2,000 refugees but were unable to reach them immediately because of a damaged bridge over a rain-swollen river. The Chadian authorities would try again, he said.

A tent shortage at Amboko was corrected when 522 tents were brought from the UNHCR stockpile in Abeche, eastern Chad, he added.