The 180,000 Sudanese refugees in the remote areas of eastern Chad, who fled fighting in Darfur region, will face an increasingly grim situation due to serious shortages of food and other daily necessities, according to reports from Ndjamena, capital of Chad.

Efforts to bring aid to the refugees in the remote and semi-desert areas of eastern Chad were hampered by heavy seasonal rains, which worsened the already poor road conditions, the Chadian media quoted officials with international humanitarian aid organizations as saying.

The rains filled up the usually dry river beds and make the region's road network even more risky. A large part of the zone where the refugees have taken shelter is almost inaccessible.

The rains are set to continue into October, during which time refugees will be seriously threatened by possible spread of infectious diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, malaria and respiratory disorders, the reports added.

The conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region began in February 2003, with two rebel groups -- the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), revolting against the Khartoum government and demanding autonomy for the largely black African region.

In response, the pro-government Janjaweed and other militias went on rampage, carrying out what aid and rights agencies called a brutal and systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing.

The conflict has left up to 30,000 people dead and more than one million displaced, of whom up to 180,000 people took refuge in neighboring Chad.