- Title: PAKISTAN: AFGHAN REFUGEES CONTINUE TO CROSS INTO NEIGHBOURING PAKISTAN.
- Date: 5th October 2001
- Summary: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, NORTH WESTERN FRONTIER PROVINCE, PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 3-4, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (LOCATION - ZARINOOR, A FEW KILOMETRES FROM THE AFGHANISTAN BORDER, NORTH WESTERN PROVINCE) 1. GV/PAN: TRUCK CARRYING AFGHAN REFUGEES ARRIVING FROM THE BORDER/ GOODS AND BELONGINGS PILED ON TRUCKS 0.16 2. GV/PAN/LV/MV: CAMEL CROSSING WITH OWNER A
- Embargoed: 20th October 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NORTH WESTERN FRONTIER PROVINCE AND ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Reuters ID: LVA98XNT4EU9MF8BRWMSGB1WNRJQ
- Story Text: Hundreds of Afghan refugees are crossing into
Pakistan in search of refuge from expected U.S. attacks on
their homeland.
Every day, far from the assistance of international aid
organisations and the United Nations, hundreds of new Afghan
refugees arrive in Pakistan's North Western Frontier province
- looking for refuge from war, hunger and feared U.S.
reprisals against the Taliban regime.
On Wednesday and Thursday (October 3-4) refugees on
camels, motor vehicles and foot arrived and rested in the
province after trekking across mountain passes. On Thursday
the Pakistan government estimated at least 800 people a day
were making the perilous journey into Pakistan - passing
through manned checkpoints.
In Waziristan, Pakistan's North Western Frontier Province,
local journalists say hundreds of new refugees arrive each day
- laden down with their belongings.
When these refugees arrive, there is little to welcome
them. Since Pakistan closed its borders, refugees have been
forced to find routes through the remotest mountain passes -
ending up living out in the open, exposed to the elements.
"It's a grave situation and people are trying to get into
Pakistan in search of relief and food. This border is a very
long border, 2,500 km long border, we cannot completely seal
it, therefore there are many trails, people are coming into
Pakistan, according to one report it's anything up to 800
persons daily who are crossing into Pakistan," said the
Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan on
Thursday (October 4).
Aid agencies and the United Nations have made provision to
cope with a possible massive influx of refugees in the wake of
any U.S. attack on Afghanistan and have begun to scope out
possible new sites for refugee camps.
cah/
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