October 24, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba'an 6, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: Pakistan on Tuesday allowed UNHCR to establish a refugee camp two kilometres inside the Chaman border at Killi Faizo, UN officials said at a news conference.

UNHCR spokesperson, Peter Kessler said the new refugee site would be used to accommodate the most vulnerable cases of refugees including women, children, elderly and the sick. Initially, 1000 persons can be helped at the site, he said.

About border crossings, he said that though the border remains officially closed, some 80 persons managed to enter Pakistan on Tuesday through the main crossing point at the border.

According to UNHCR estimates, at least 10,000 people are said to be waiting on the Afghan side of the border.

Answering a question about establishment of refugee camps inside Afghanistan, Mr Kessler said the offer is a longstanding one but it is not wise to establish refugee camps inside Afghanistan because of the security situation.

In response to a question about the number of refugees sent back from the Pakistan border, UNHCR spokesperson said a number of people who crossed the border at Chaman were stopped and sent back. However, he said it is difficult to give an exact estimate of number of people forced back from the border.

Terming the security concerns of Pakistan for opening the borders as legitimate, he said the right to a refugee status is internationally recognised human right and should not be denied to persons seeking security of life.

He said that UNHCR has received US $31 million in response to its funding appeal of US $50 million with the largest contribution of US $10 million received from USA.

United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan spokesperson, Stephanie Bunker, said that life for the Afghans fleeing bombings on Kabul is becoming dangerous as Taliban troops have reportedly relocated themselves to villages in and around Kabul.

She said that during recent air strikes, several bombs hit residential areas of Kabul forcing citizens to seek refuge in surrounding villages.

UNICEF: Unicef spokesperson, Chulhu Hyun, said that a 14 member Unicef team visited the no-man’s land between Pakistan-Afghan border and carried out spot checks on health condition of children.

The team comprised Afghan nationals who travelled with the permission of the local authorities.

Isolated cases of diarrhoea were seen by the team, the spokesperson said.