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ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: The UNHCR spokesperson, Mr Peter Kessler, has said that the situation at Chaman border is chaotic with the refugees apparently fleeing in panic and arriving without food or belongings. The new arrivals report fleeing heavy bombardments in Kandahar.
Speaking at a news conference here on Friday, he said the agency was asking Pakistani authorities for permission to provide water and food to the new arrivals at Chaman where UNHCR has already stationed a water tanker.
The influx on Friday comes on top of some 10,000 people who arrived in Balochistan alone over the past six days.
According to UNHCR, the refugees are believed to travel from Kabul to Jalalabad by vehicle before being guided for some 15 hours through rough terrain into Pakistan by the smugglers.
Meanwhile, the 11th UNHCR airlift into Pakistan arrived Friday morning in Quetta with more than 10,000 blankets and some 6,200 plastic tarpaulins. A second flight to Quetta is expected in the coming days, bringing plastic sheets, registration materials and large tent structures known as Rubbhalls that can serve as movable warehouses, the spokesperson said.
UNHCR estimates it needs $50 million during the first phase to take care of up to 400,000 new arrivals, primarily in Pakistan and Iran.
In another development, Mr. Kessler said, some 2,300 people have established themselves in a new corner of the Jalozai camp near Peshawar.
IOM: International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Islamabad has asked its staff in Kunduz to stay at home in reaction to occupation of its offices by the Taliban authorities on Wednesday.
In a press release issued here on Friday, IOM said that in the northern city of Kunduz, the Taliban occupied IOM’s office and warehouse. They made an inventory of the contents of both buildings and removed two vehicles.
The warehouse, containing non-food relief items including a UNICEF consignment of blankets, winter clothing and shoes shipped from Mazar-i-Sharif by IOM earlier this week, was sealed.
Also in the warehouse, as part of IOM’s winter programme for the Baghe Sherkat and Amirabad IDP camps were with 6,000 blankets, 10,000 pairs of children’s shoes, 10,000 children’s sweaters, and approximately 16,000 pairs of rubber boots.
IOM staff, who were roughed up but not injured in the raid, were told by the Taliban to stop all distribution of relief items until further notice.
According to the press release, a survey of the shelter situation in Herat showed that Maslakh has 8,346 families or 52,028 people without proper shelter with less than six weeks before winter sets in.
IOM had requested US$29.2 million for its humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.
