Helicopter Rescues 20 Darfur Aid Workers

[Englander]

Monday November 22, 2004 4:16 PM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4630778,00.html

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Aid workers fled into bush areas Monday to escape fierce clashes in Sudan's Darfur region before being rescued by an African Union helicopter and flown to safety, U.N. and aid agency officials said.

Kate Haiff, Sudan country director for Save The Children, UK, said 20 workers for her organization and some other people were airlifted from the Tawilla area, in North Darfur state, where fighting between rebels and Arab militia has raged since Sunday.

``Our staff have been evacuated by helicopter and are arriving in (North Darfur's capital of) Al-Fasher,'' Haiff said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press in Egypt.

U.N. spokesman in Khartoum, George Somerwill, said 45 people were airlifted to safety by an African Union helicopter after fleeing fighting Monday in Tawilla.