Surrounded by Britain's muslim and islamic leaders, Tony Blair told reporters at Downing Street yesterday that a "humanitarian coalition" would provide massive amounts of aid to help refugees fleeing Afghanistan from the expected bombing.

In addition to the £25 million Britain announced last week for displaced Afghans, International Development secretary Clare Short announced last night a further £11 million will be targeted towards poor Pakistanis living in the border area to prevent any outbreaks of hostility and envy towards the refugees.

In launching an appeal for £176 million yesterday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that in addition to the millions already in camps on the border, a further 1.5 million Afghans are attempting to leave their homeland. This can be compared to the 700,000 refugees who fleed during the Kosovo war.