Geneva - The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, yesterday appealed to Pakistan to reopen its border to Afghan refugees fleeing fighting in the north-east of the country. Mr Kris Janowski, the UNHCR spokesman, said it was also "very concerned" that its staff had not been allowed, until three days ago, to reach 18,000 refugees who are believed to have fled to Pakistan before the border was closed on November 9th.
The refugees, mostly women and children, were in "fairly bad shape" and there were reports that some had died.
