ISLAMABAD, July 20: The recent floods and cyclone in Balochistan have displaced about 40,000 Afghan refugees living in three camps in the province, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said.

The spokesman said the staff of the agency had conducted a survey of the camps and other affected areas. He said the camps in Chaghai, Nushki and Dalbandin had been very badly hit, displacing about 40,000 refugees.

The victims were in severe need of urgent relief supplies like shelter, food and blankets, he said.

The UNHCR, the spokesman said, had sent about 250 tons of emergency supplies, including 2,000 tents, 7,000 plastic sheets, 5,000 mats and blankets, 2,600 jerrycans and 800 kitchen sets to the flood-hit Afghans. Relief supplies had also been sent to refugees in Sindh and the NWFP. Those living in refugee camps in the NWFP had been provided sandbags to prevent further flooding, the spokesman said.

About two million registered Afghan refugees lived in Pakistan side by side with their Pakistani hosts, whereas about one million had been housed in refugee camps, the spokesman said.

He said the UNHCR was part of the UN flash appeal for $38.3 million to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the affected population over the next three months.

At least six countries had made initial pledges of between $2 million to $4 million.

As part of the appeal, the UNHCR was also asking for more than $2.7 million to provide shelter material to 150,000 people in refugee-hosting areas, he said.