More help needed in Pakistan

People suffering because of the flooding in Pakistan need a lot more help urgently, says a senior United Nations official.

The UN says the situation in Pakistan is the worst crisis the world has seen in decades. The flooding and devastation has killed 1,600 people and 20 million people have been affected in total.

Director of emergency operations for Unicef in New York, Louis-George Arsenault, described the lack of help from other countries as “quite extraordinary”.

In the space of 24 hours, it’s thought that 200,000 people fled Sindh province in the south of the country. People are leaving their homes, work and schools to find safety. Barriers to keep water out have been broken.

The Pakistani government says it could cost as much as £10 billion to rebuild after the floods.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says diseases are spreading. Only 10% of people who have been made homeless have shelter in relief camps. The rest are trying to survive with nothing.

India has sent $5-million dollars in aid as a goodwill gesture, despite the two countries constantly feuding.

The UN says it has raised more than half of the £460 million needed. For more information on the emergency appeal go to www.dec.org.uk.

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