MIANWALI, Jan 9: Twenty-nine employees of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) have been discharged from their services on grounds of retrenchment from the Afghan refugees camp No. 6 at Kot Chandana.

Twelve employees from the health sector — lady health visitors, a health supervisor, assistant LHVs — and 17 from the education department, including 10 lady teachers, were sent home.

When contacted, district administrator Farooq Hashmi said the retrenchment was a normal process because the employees had been deputed according to the number of refugees staying in the camp.

He said at present 30,000 refugees were staying in the camp.