United Nations Radio

Some 3,000 Darfur refugees in Chad are now homeless after a fire destroyed part of a camp where they were living.

Many refugees lost all their food rations and belongings in the blaze which occurred on Friday afternoon at a remote camp in eastern Chad run by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Ten people were slightly injured.

UNHCR says the probable cause of the blaze was an untended cooking fire, which spread rapidly.

The affected families were moved to three camp schools on Friday night and additional supplies, including sleeping mats, blankets and kitchen sets, were distributed to them over the weekend. UNHCR has also asked its partner, the World Food Programme, to deliver an extra monthly food ration to those who lost their homes.

The refugees, who have been at the camp since 2004, had constructed traditional stick and mud shelters to replace UNHCR tents they received when they first arrived. UNHCR says these huts were easily ignited in Friday's blaze, and that bricks should be used in future to avoid such incidents.

Reporting for UN Radio, I am Dianne Penn.

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