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CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - The United Nations evacuated 71 aid workers from the largest refugee camp in Darfur Tuesday after gunmen looted their compounds, leaving some 130,000 refugees virtually without humanitarian help.
It was the largest single instance of an aid worker evacuation since the U.N. launched its large-scale humanitarian campaign in Darfur in 2004. Over the past year, worsening violence in the war-ravaged region in western Sudan has made delivering vital aid to hundreds of thousands of residents difficult to impossible.
More than 20 gunmen raided several humanitarian compounds in the South Darfur refugee camp of Gereida late Monday, harassing staff and stealing vehicles, communication equipment and money, the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement.
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