United Nations, Dec 4 (IANS): The UN relief chief released $5 million in emergency relief to support the humanitarian response for Sudanese refugees in neighbouring Chad, UN humanitarians said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general and the emergency relief coordinator, made the allocation from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The new funding will support UN agencies and their partners in providing humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, water, food and shelter support, to both Sudanese refugees and host communities in Chad," OCHA said on Tuesday.

The office said that following an escalation of fighting in Sudan's western Darfur region, the number of people fleeing Sudan to Chad increased in September and October, with more than 70,000 newly displaced people.

OCHA said that since the start of the conflict in Sudan in April of last year, more than 700,000 people have fled to Chad.

In Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, expressed her grave concern over reports of shelling in and around the Zamzam camp near El Fasher in western Sudan.

The coordinator reported that Zamzam is the largest camp for internally displaced people in Sudan and home to more than 500,000 people.

Zamzam came under fire on Sunday and Monday, with at least five people killed and 18 others injured, according to aid organisations.

Nkweta-Salami said that it is now more than 232 days since the siege of El Fasher began and stressed the importance of protecting civilians.