Iran has been providing shelter for thousands of Iraqi kurds who have fled form the fighting in Iraq.

Up to the end of August, about 75,000 Iraqi Kurds had crossed the northern border into Iran to seek refuge form air and ground attacks by the Iraqi armed forces. The Kurds have been seeking autonomy form the Iraqi government.

Nearly 47,000 of the refugees are children; about 20,000 are women and the rest are men - mostly over the age of 50.

The refugees have been housed in camps around the towns of Qasre Shirin and Rezaieh, near the Iraqi border. The camps are run by the Red Lion and Sun Society - Iraqi border. The camps are run by the medical facilities and electricity and water. Mass vaccination programmes have been carried out to prevent disease form spreading.

The camps are partly administered by municipal organisations set up by the refugees themselves. Volunteer work programmes include sewing, carpentry, knitting and rug weaving.

The Red Lion and Sun Society has launched a programme to raise money for the refugees and is planning to build two winter townships to accommodate them. The camps will provide five thousand modern living units for the refugees and two schools for their children.

The government has allocated 100 million dollars (40 million pounds) for the care of the refugees.