United Nations Radio

More people fleeing fighting between Pakistani troops and militants in the Swat Valley are arriving at a newly established camp in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

Pakistani refugees

They are part of thousands of people who took advantage of the lifting of a curfew over the weekend to reach safer areas in Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda districts of the province.

UNHCR says before the lifting of the curfew, many people had been trapped for some time in their villages and towns in the Swat Valley.

The UN refugee agency together with its partners and the authorities of the North West Frontier Province have established two new camps in Charsadda and Peshawar districts to respond to this influx.

UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond says one of the camps, Sugar Mill camp in Charsadda, has received 400 families -- that's over 2,000 people. More people are expected to arrive on Tuesday:

"Some of those who arrived said that they had been living in their basements for a month. They said they were about to run out of food when the curfew was finally lifted on Saturday and Sunday and they were told to evacuate the area. One family said they ate spinach and bread for 25 days before finally being able to leave their home for safety."

Ron Redmond says the displaced people cited shortages of food and medicine as major problems for those who remain stranded in the conflict zone.

Diane Bailey, United Nations.
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