war Southern Sudan and the protection of displaced persons in the capital Khartoum and the east of the country. The three-year conflict in Darfur had dramatically changed living conditions in the region, where most now depend on international assistance for survival. If the banditry continued in Darfur, the region's economy would collapse affecting about 3.6 million people, he warned. There are 200,000 Darfuri refugees in camps just inside the Chadian border. There are also Chadian refugees in Darfur that have fled the disturbances in the border area as well as thousands of internally displaced Chadians, Fakhouri said. Rebels from both sides often trade fire along the border, sometimes attacking each other's refugee camps, he added, warning, "If the situation continues, there will be spillover of banditry from Darfur to Chad." Fakhouri said refugees had begun returning from Chad to Darfur in recent weeks, with the UNHCR registering new arrivals each day, mainly women and children. "As a whole, the situation is a cause for concern," he observed. ---SP 21 05 Local Time 18 05 GMT
