Background: Four United States' Air force transport aircraft are currently airlifting Pakistani refugees from the remote east India territory of Tripura. The airlift began after the arrival of the American 'planes in Calcutta on Thursday (17 June). In addition to medical supplies, the C-130 transport aircraft brought in ten jeeps, a gift from the Japanese Red Cross.

The territory of Tripura, which borders East Pakistan, has an estimated one million refugees. Some of the refugees are being flown from Gauhati, near the border, to Agartala, the Tripura state capital. Indian authorities hope to house many of the refugees in a large camp west of Gauhati. Two Soviet Antonov 12 transport 'planes have also begun moving refugees to a camp in Mana, in central India.

Cholera has broken out in a new area of West Bengal, as a fresh wave of refugees poured across the border into India from East Pakistan. 25,000 refugees fled through one border checkpoint alone on Wednesday (16 June).