The US State Department issued a statement that said the situation in western Sudans Darfur area is rapidly deteriorating. The US report said NGOs operating in the area had pulled back because of fighting. NGO estimates have indicated that at least 600,000 civilians have been internally displaced by the fighting. Chad now harbors an estimated 75,000 refugees. The government is accused of deliberately forcing non-Moslem civilians out of areas it wants to populate with Moslems.