Over 181,000 have fled recent NW Pakistan fighting: UNHCR

Agency says about 10,000 new arrivals were being registered daily by officials at the Jalozai camp near Peshawar.

GENEVA: More than 181,000 people have fled fighting between government troops and Taliban or al Qaeda-linked militants in northwest Pakistan, the UN refugee agency said on Friday.

"The number of people displaced by an ongoing government security operation in northwest Pakistan has now surpassed 181,000," said a statement from the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The agency said that about 10,000 new arrivals were being registered daily by officials at the Jalozai camp near Peshawar.

"The vast majority of those registered - 85% - choose not live in the Jalozai camp, opting instead to stay with friends, relatives or in rented accommodation," said the UNHCR.

The body said it had distributed more than 37,000 humanitarian kits and other UN agencies, including Unicef and the World Health Organisation (WHO), were also providing aid.

The fighting started on January 20 when government troops attacked militant groups in the Khyber region.