International relief officials have welcomed an agreement by India and Pakistan to open their heavily militarized border in disputed Kashmir to help victims of this month's devastating earthquake.
A statement by the two governments released in Islamabad Sunday said crossings would be opened at five points to allow people to cross in both directions on foot beginning November 7th.
Priority will go to families divided by the de facto border. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the quake zone, Rashid Khalikov, called the agreement a good step that will help extend aid to affected people in isolated areas.
U.N officials say some 200,000 people are still without any humanitarian aid nearly three weeks after the quake.
They say hundreds of thousands risk death or illness as the harsh Himalayan winter approaches. About 55,000 people, most of them in Pakistani Kashmir, were killed in the quake.
Information for this report is provided by AP and Reuters.
