UN launches appeal for Kyrgyzstan

The UN announces a $71m (£48m) flash appeal for Kyrgyzstan, where it says 400,000 people have been displaced by inter-ethnic fighting.

اقوام متحدہ نے کرغزستان میں نسلی فسادات سے پیدا ہونے والی صورتحال سے نمٹنے کے لیے اور کیمپوں میں موجود متاثرین کی مدد کے لیے 71 ملین ڈالر کی امدادی اپیل قائم کی ہے۔

The UN has announced a $71m (£48m) flash appeal for Kyrgyzstan, where it says some 400,000 people have been displaced by inter-ethnic fighting.

The Central Asian state's interim leader believes the number of people killed since violence erupted just over a week ago may be as high as 2,000.

Up to a million people are said to have been affected by fighting between the Kyrgyz majority and minority Uzbeks.

Many of those who fled their homes are staying in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan's government has asked the UN to launch a similar appeal for its own camps next week.

Having accepted tens of thousands of refugees, it fears its capacity to help them will soon run out, reports the BBC's Tom Lane from the UN in New York.