In a televised message across the Middle East and elsewhere, Princess Haya urged the public to step up donations to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) operations, which provide support for over 2 million Pakistanis who have escaped the conflict between Government forces and militants in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

“Millions have been forced to leave, abandoning their homes, their communities and their loved ones,” said Princess Haya. “They arrive needing everything: shelter, food, and medical care.”

UNHCR said it is seeking to ease congestion by expanding camps, where the agency says around 10 per cent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled, and ramp up assistance to people taken in by families in local communities.

High Commissioner António Guterres has said that hundreds of millions of dollars will be needed for the overall relief effort as a shortage of resources is already reducing the amount of shelter and other aid items reaching IDPs, the agency said in a press release.

“Only with your help, can UNHCR revive hope, assist with shelter and meet other basic needs. Please help UNHCR,” said Princess Haya.

The UN and its partners launched an appeal for $543 million on 22 May, of which just over one-quarter has been funded, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said two weeks ago.#