PESHAWAR, Oct 27: Fleeing US airstrikes a large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from various parts of Afghanistan have taken refuge in the once-abandoned Sarshahi camp situated near Jalalabad, in the eastern Nangerhar province of the war-torn country, sources told Dawn here on Friday.

The Sarshahi camp, established during the early years of the Soviet invasion and became non-functional several years back, is reported to be housing between 400 and 500 families of Afghan IDPs who began taking refuge there since the US air attacks on Oct 7, according to an aid worker.

“The families in the Sarshahi camp are from Kabul, Bamiyan, Jalalabad and other areas,” said the aid worker who arrived in Peshawar from Jalalabad on Thursday.

According to him, Health Net International - an relief organization extending humanitarian assistance to people inside Afghanistan, has dispatched teams to the Sarshahi camp to extend health cover to the IDPs stated to be leading miserable lives in the squalid camp, situated some 20 kilometres on way to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border from Jalalabad.

Food shortage, coupled with harsh cold nights, said sources, was making life very difficult for those living in the Sarshahi camp. Many of them are reportedly bracing the difficult living conditions under the open sky.

“Some of the families were waiting to proceed to Pakistan hoping that Pakistan would open its border with Afghanistan,” said the aid worker adding, “there are several families who stay for a couple of days in the camp and then proceed to the border to cross over into Pakistan illegally”.