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BAJAUR, Feb 14: Two Afghan children died at the new refugee tent-village set up at the Barkili area of Bajaur Agency on the first day when the last batch of around 1,100 Afghan refugees was shifted from the Jalozai camp to the tribal agency here on Tuesday.
The Afghans, mostly children and women and elderly people, suffered mishaps and difficulties due to intense cold, shortage of food, drinking water and health care facilities.
One of the children, 12-year-old Nawab Khan, died after falling into a deep well, and the other, a girl of the same age, died of pneumonia on Tuesday night.
A 60-year-old woman fractured both her legs while performing ablution at the new camp.
Officials of the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees stationed at the new tent-village established near the Pakistan Afghan border has ordered a probe into the fatal incidents.
They have also decided to take action against the security personnel of the camp for not informing the authorities of the incidents in time.
PROTEST: Twelve Afghans received serious injuries when the security personnel and officials of a Swiss NGO baton- charged the new inmates of Barkili refugees camp who staged a protest against what they termed the scarcity of foodstuff, drinking water and other facilities at the camp.
The refugees revealed that the NGO people were providing them only wheat flour, and nothing to cook with.
The refugees said that they had not had anything to eat or drink since their arrival from Jalozai on Tuesday. They said that the refugees had decided not to accept any assistance from the Swiss NGO as a mark of protest.
On Wednesday, around 800 refugees ransacked the food warehouse of the NGO at the camp and pelted the officials with stones.
The security guards of the NGO and personnel of the tribal security force baton-charged the refugees to quell the demonstration.
