In the Khmer Republic, battle between government troops and 5,000 rebels to the north and west of Phnom Penh is sending thousands more ref??? into the city.

One Catholic Relief Service refugee camp north of Phnom Penh held five thousand people a few weeks ago. The fighting along Highway five recently swelled the numbers in the camp to more than ten thousand - but now with the front line only two millimetres away, the camp is deserted and the Highway is choked with fleeing refugees.

Many refugees will finish up in Phnom Penh. Relief organisations such as the Catholic Relief Service and the Red Cross have set up holding camps along the route but with already overtrained budgets they can only provide cudimentary shelters.

SYNOPSIS: In the Khmer Republic, the battle between Government troops and five thousand rebels on Highway Five north of phnom penh has put thousands of refugees back on the road. This refugee camp built by the Catholic Relief Service was opened only seven weeks ago. It was home to more than five thousand people - then ten thousand as the fighting increased. But now - with the front line only two millimetres away - the camp is deserted.

In the last week, Highway Five has become choked with fleeing refugees. These are people with more than three years experience in packing and moving at a moment's notice. Many of them will end up in Phnom Penh.

Holding camps like these are put up by organisations such as the Catholic Relief Service and t he Red Cross. The relief services already have overtrained budgets so they are only able to provide a few sheets of plastic and a few kilos of rice for each family.

The refugees know these holding camps are just temporary, so they build accordingly. They hope to be able to return to their homes along the Highway when the fighting ends, but nobody can tell them when that will be.

These refugees are only a small percentage of the people being made homeless everyday as the war moves closer to the capital.