From Our Correspondent
Geneva, June 16
United Nations officials have reacted with some surprise to the parliamentary statement by Mrs Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, that international aid for the East Pakistan refugees is “pitiable” and “one-tenth of what is required”.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees pointed out today that if contributions made by the Red Cross and voluntary agencies and on a bilateral basis are included, the total aid so far pledged by the world community is worth about £30m, not £17m as stated in Delhi yesterday by Mr R. K. Khadilkar, the Indian Minister of Labour and Rehabilitation. The figure he mentioned represents only the value of what is at present being channelled through the United Nations.

Mrs Gandhi’s assertion that 10 times as much would be needed is correct in the context of some six million refugees over a six-month period. United Nations officials had already stated that several governments which had given once had indicated that they were considering further contributions, for there is a clear realization of the magnitude of longer-term requirements.

However, given the customary inertia into which the United Nations agencies are prone to relapse, Mrs Gandhi’s hard words are unlikely to have done any harm.

They seem likely to be corroborated in any case, by the report of the United Nations High Commissioner, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, who is expected back here towards the end of the week after visiting both Pakistan and India and ascertaining for himself the conditions on both sides of the frontier.

Mr Francis Kellogg, special assistant for refugee and migration affairs to Mr William Rogers, the United States Secretary of State, will leave here next week for a tour of Indian border states where the refugees arc camped.