Concern over Pakistan refugee camps

Settling in to a new life as a refugee

Fears are growing about the safety of refugee camps in Pakistan as aid agencies continue their preparations in the event of an influx of refugees.

The location of the camps - in the tribal belt of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province - could put refugees and relief workers at risk, aid agencies claim.

UNHCR spokesman Panos Moumtzis said operations in Pakistan were being restricted because of angry mobs sympathetic to the Taleban.

"We take the security of our staff very, very seriously," he said.

"But every hour and minute that is wasted could have consequences on the life saving operations that we are trying to put together."

The bare essentials of life

"There is also a lot of confusion between the US and the UN."

Expatriate workers, who fear for their security, cannot continue their tasks and are having to rely on local staff.

Security and water

Security and water are the two main determining factors and expatriate water engineers could not continue their work, he said.

NGOs... are increasingly being targeted by the Taleban

UN spokeswoman

Installing water supplies, proper sanitation and tents at the camps in predominantly arid areas will take several days, the agency has said.

The UN has asked for reinforced security from the Pakistan Government and called for authorities to provide more suitable areas for refugee camps.

More than 20 refugee camps are being prepared in areas around Peshawar and Quetta to hold up to one million people.

No accurate numbers

And agencies are looking to create more in Iran, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for a further 500,000 desperate Afghans.

But the UN says it cannot give accurate numbers on the refugee influx.

The news follows reports of aid agency staff being attacked in areas around Peshawar.

And security is also worsening for humanitarian operations inside Afghanistan.

A United Nations spokeswoman recently confirmed some UN Afghan staff were beaten up by members of the Taleban regime.

The Taleban also ransacked and looted a UN office in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, taking away communications equipment, spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said.

"The NGOs working with the United Nations Mine Action Programme are increasingly being targeted by the Taleban authorities."

"Staff have been beaten in Kabul, in Kandahar and in Jalalabad." The regime had also taken UN vehicles but she was unable to say how many.