ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The new representative for the UN's refugee agency in Pakistan, Guenet Geubre-Christos, arrived to here ahead of the beginning of the 2004 voluntary repatriation programme for Afghan refugees.

She succeeds Hasim Utkan, who is now UNHCR's regional representative based in Bangkok.

Mrs Guebre-Christos, 55, has had a 22-year career with the UN High Commission for Refugees, says a press release.

Prior to her appointment as the head of UNHCR's operations in Pakistan, she was the regional representative with the UNHCR Regional Officer for the United States and the Caribbean in Washington.

"I am excited to be taking over as the Representative of UNHCR in Pakistan at this time," said Mrs Guebre-Christos.

"Pakistan has been one of he most patient countries in the world, hosting a huge number of refugees for a quarter of a century. And now we are at last nearing a solution to this long- running refugees situation".

Mrs Guebre-Christos, who is an American citizen, had also served as UNHCR representative in Rwanda, Nigeria and Benin. She previously worked with the UN Refugee Agency in Kenya, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

The repatriation programme, which continues this year and in 2005, resumes next month. UNHCR has offered to screen those refugees remaining at the end of the programme to see who still needs the protection of refugee status.-APP