RIYADH, 4 October — Contingency plans for rehabilitating an anticipated 1.5 million Afghan refugees in different countries at a cost of $268 million were discussed yesterday at a meeting between the representatives of NGOs from the Gulf states and the GCC Regional Coordination Center of the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Mustafa Omar, regional representative of UNHCR, told newsmen after the meeting that the idea was to brief the NGOs on the contingency plans and seek their cooperation through what he called “partnership in action.”

The assistance is being sought in cash, although it could be in kind at a later stage. UNHCR is also coordinating with the WHO and other relevant agencies.

Today’s meeting was intended to fill in the NGOs on the requirements of the situation. A follow-up meeting has been planned to review the progress and determine the action on the ground.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd has already donated $10 million toward the rehabilitation cost.

Among the other Gulf states, the UAE and Kuwait have announced substantial contributions, although the exact amount was not disclosed. Donations announced so far include a $100 million grant from the US, besides those from the member states of the EU.

The UNHCR official said the agency has drawn up a regional plan for rehabilitating the refugees and to ensure cooperation between UNHCR and the NGOs. The contingency plan is intended to cover the basic needs of 1.5 million potential Afghan refugees.

Of these, one million refugees will be accommodated in Pakistan, 400,000 in Iran, and 100,000 in Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The refugees will be directed to new campsites only after their papers have been processed at reception centers, where they will have to stay for 48 hours.

Referring to the mobilization plan, Omar said UNHCR has already started stockpiling of food provisions and deployment of staff to cope with the emergency.

“What we discussed today was part of this mobilization to face the situation.”

The official said the onset of winter could worsen the refugees’ plight. Already, Iran and Pakistan were hosting 1.5 million and two million refugees respectively. The influx of an additional 1. 5 million of them could further aggravate the problem as 20 percent of the refugee population consists of children under five years of age, he added.

Meanwhile, thousands of Afghans in the Kingdom have expressed their appreciation of Interior Minister Prince Naif’s assurance that all possible help will be extended to them.

“I learned a few days ago that some of our Afghan brothers in the Kingdom were facing difficulties regarding their residence status. I ordered the concerned departments to solve their problems and give them employment opportunities as they are innocent people who abide by Islamic principles. We respect those who respect their faith and respect themselves,” Prince Naif said on Monday.

The Afghan expats are deeply worried about their relatives living under the shadow of the international military buildup against their impoverished country. They are terrified at the prospect of bombs or nuclear weapons striking their homes and villages.

Several workers have expressed worries about the plight of their country. Mujeeb Al-Haq, 62, who has been in the Kingdom for the past eight years, said that “Most Afghans fear that the impending American attack will destroy all remaining farms, buildings and people in the country, which is already devastated by a terrible famine.”

There are about 26,200 Afghans in the Kingdom.