Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary today urged Iranian authorities to be patient about the refugee issue because the government in Kabul is not prepared to accomodate the influx:"There are serious problems. There is a lack of food, shelter, and families are being separated."

Earlier this month, Pakistan also began expelling Afghan refugees who have failed to legally register there.

Nearly two million Afghan refugees are believed to be still living in Iran. UN and Pakistani officials estimate there are now about 2.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan -- including several hundred thousand who face forcible repatriation because they missed an April 15 deadline to register.