UN: 400,000 now uprooted by Kyrgyzstan unrest

[June 17, 2010]  OSH, Kyrgyzstan (AP) -- The U.N. humanitarian office says the number of people uprooted by unrest in Kyrgyzstan has reached 400,000.

Spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs says the estimated number of people driven from their homes but still inside Kyrgyzstan is 300,000. She says there are now also about 100,000 refugees in neighboring Uzbekistan. The last official estimate of refugees who fled the country was 75,000. No number of internally displaced has been available.

Thousands of ethnic Uzbeks remain fearful of returning to their homes from border areas and are awaiting their chance to leave the country for camps on the Uzbekistan side.

[Associated Press]

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