UN opens new camps to house fleeing Pakistanis

US: The United Nations has opened three new camps in Pakistan to house a continuing flow of families fleeing the fighting in north-west Pakistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday.

But lack of funding is hampering the world body's ability to assist displaced persons, OCHA said.

The office said the newly-arrived displaced persons came from Lower Dir, Swat and Buner, in the North West Frontier Province, where the Pakistani army has been clashing with militants.

According to OCHA, Pakistani authorities have estimated that the number of persons displaced by the conflict exceeds 2.5 million, including 550,000 people who fled clashes in the area last year.

A UN appeal for 543 million U.S. dollars to support the displaced persons, launched May 22, is about 25 percent funded, it said.

United Nations, Tuesday, Xinhua