No let-up in Eritrean refugees crossing Sudanese border

Eritrean refugees were still streaming across the border into Sudan, despite Ethiopia’s announcement that it had withdrawn its forces from the region, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday. In Khartoum, UNHCR spokesman Paul Stromberg told IRIN that several thousand had crossed into Kassala state at Lasa on Monday and that the new arrivals had reported that Ethiopian forces were firmly in control of the main road through Teseney. They had not, however, seen any fighting. Stromberg said the main priority for the refugees was water. The UNHCR was operating six tankers and purchasing thousands of jerrycans for distribution among the refugees. Further relief supplies would be airlifted from stockpiles in Europe to Khartoum and then brought by road to Kassala. It was not possible to use the local airport because of a lack of fuelling and unloading facilities.