AID camps set up to accommodate up to 10,000 refugees fleeing the war in Iraq remain empty.

Rumours that anyone leaving the county will have their property seized, together with the expanses of open desert, have combined to persuade most of the civilian population to stay put, so far.

But 35-year-old Oxfam worker Nigel Young, from Durham, believes that the longer the fighting continues, the more desperate life will become.

Food may still be on sale in the markets in Baghdad - despite daily bombing missions - but only the comparatively wealthy can afford the rising prices.

The international aid agencies believe the day will come when flight is preferable, even if it means leaving homes, possessions and a way of life behind.

Mr Young, already a veteran of the conflict in Afghanistan, has been heading the charity's mission in Jordan and Syria.

He said: "We have set up camps in Syria and Jordan, which could each cope with between 8,000 and 10,000 people, but so far, they are empty.

"We have heard rumours that people have been told their property will be confiscated if they try to flee, but their reluctance to leave could also have something to do with the geography of the region.

"Refugees would have to cross miles of open desert to reach safety and, in the present climate, most people will see that as a huge risk.

"However, food stocks will not last forever, particularly for the 60 per cent of the population on Government rations, who have not been able to stockpile anything. It will not be long before they are forced to take more drastic decisions.

"In the meantime, we are working with the United Nations to win assurances that we will be allowed access to the Iraqi population just as soon as it is safe for us to enter the country."

A 30-truck convoy carrying essential medicines and supplies was on the edge of Baghdad last night after crossing the desert from Jordan, but there was no news on whether it had been allowed to enter the city.

Meanwhile, the tented camps, built to guidelines laid down to minimise the risk of disease, are waiting.

But Oxfam still needs help from the British public and Mr Young urged anyone willing to lend a hand to contact the charity.

He said: "We would like to hear from anyone willing to help in our shops or with donations.