In pictures: Afghan refugees' plight

As tens of thousands of people fleeing war in Afghanistan become stranded at the sealed Pakistani border, an urgent aid effort gets under way.

Aid agencies and border guards were not expecting such a sudden flood of refugees

Guards fired warning shots when refugees tried to cut through the frontier wire

Charities from the Middle East are among those rushing aid to the border

Getting over the border does not mean refugees can automatically receive help

But many eventually reach refugee camps

Many Afghan refugees are also in Iran, preparing for the harsh winter as best they can