ISLAMABAD The United Nations is becoming increasingly concerned over the growing influx of internally displaced people (DPs) into the northwestern Afghan city of Herat.

Between 300 and 400 families are arriving daily, the highest number ever, a UN official said in Islamabad.

"My main concern is that the outside world might think this is business as usual," the UN Regional Coordination Officer for Western Afghanistan, Hans-Christian Poulsen told Islamabad-based Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN).

"The situation is going from bad to worse," he added.

According to Poulsen, during the first week of April, the daily influx of refugees was on average 225 families, but that figure has now risen to between 300 and 400 families.

"On April 9 alone, 349 families arrived in the impoverished city.

The main reason for this influx was because the spring planting season was ending and those who had been unable to take advantage of it were opting to leave their villages," Poulsen said.

"It is likely the influx will continue in the coming month, though at a slightly lower level than the present influx, which is beyond anything previously experienced during the crisis," he added.

Poulsen's comments follow a report by the UN coordinator for Afghanistan on April 6, stating that since June 2000, as many as 700,000 Afghans had left their homes because of drought, conflict, or a combination of both. The majority of them remained internally displaced within Afghanistan.

(IRNA)