QUETTA, Dec 31: Nearly 280,000 Afghan refugees in Balochistan may lose health facilities from Thursday owing to a dispute between the UNHCR and the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has awarded contract to four NGOs, including three international and one local, for providing health services to the Afghan refugees living in Balochistan from Jan 1, 2004, replacing Project Director Health (PDH) of the Afghan Refugees Organization, Balochistan, who was responsible for providing the facilities to them up to Dec 31, 2003.

Sources said the PDH had informed the UNHCR sub-office in Quetta that Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees, Balochistan, has directed it not to hand over assets of the UNHCR to the new NGOs.

"Refusal of handing over the assets of UNHCR to the NGOs would definitely affect the provision of health services to the Afghan refugees in Balochistan," an official of the UNHCR sub- office told Dawn when contacted.

"Yes, it is true that the PDH had refused to continue the hand/take over process at the last minute," he confirmed. The UNHCR sub-office has sent a letter to the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugee on Tuesday, to express concern of the UN institution over its directives to the PDH officials regarding hand/take over process.