Although the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said there had been no confirmed reports of kidnappings in the wake of the October 8 tragedy, it had urged authorities to be on the alert.

"We have had a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior to make sure that traffickers don't exploit the misery and despair and desperation of survivors of the earthquake and pick out the innocent boys, girls and women," IOM director general Brunson McKinley told reporters.

The IOM fears that children made orphans by the quake -- which claimed more than 74,000 lives and left more than 3.5 million people homeless -- may be seen as rich pickings for smugglers who nab youngsters and sell them as slaves.

They are also concerned that women widowed by the tragedy may be tempted out of desperation to sell youngsters or females into bondage or prostitution.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday outlined a plan to set up community centre safe houses, or "ashianas", where quake widows and orphans could receive specialist help, partly to prevent kidnappings.

The IOM is in the region to coordinate the distribution of some 20,000 shelter kits to stricken mountain villages and hamlets in the hope of preventing the oncoming brutal Himalayan winter claiming thousands more lives.

IOM programme manager Mariam Khokhar said reports in the media of attempted kidnappings had been investigated by the government and found to have been unfounded.

"We are working closely with the ministry to make sure they are aware of the problem," Khokhar added.

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