Nearly 5.7 million Pakistani flood victims to face food crisis: United Nations

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority reported that floods fuelled by abnormally heavy monsoon rains have killed 1,695 people, affected 33 million, damaged more than two million homes and displaced hundreds of thousands now living in tents or makeshift homes.

The United Nations (UN) humanitarian agency is warning that about 5.7 million Pakistani flood survivors will face a serious food crisis in the next three months, as the death toll from the deluge rose on October 3.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority reported that floods fuelled by abnormally heavy monsoon rains have killed 1,695 people, affected 33 million, damaged more than two million homes and displaced hundreds of thousands now living in tents or makeshift homes.

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The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its latest report on Saturday said the current floods are expected to exacerbate food insecurity in Pakistan and said 5.7 million people in flood-affected areas will be facing a food crisis between September and November.

Even before the floods, according to the World Health Organisation, 16% of the population was living in moderate or severe food insecurity. However, Pakistan's government insists that there is no immediate worry about food supplies, as wheat stocks are enough to last through the next harvest and that the government is importing more.

The UN agency said in a tweet on Monday that the agency and other partners have scaled up their flood response and delivered aid to 1.6 million people directly affected by the deluges.

OCHA said outbreaks of waterborne- and other diseases are on the rise in Sindh and southwestern Baluchistan provinces, where floods have caused the most damage since mid-June. Several countries and UN agencies have sent more than 131 flights carrying aid for survivors, but many are complaining they have either received too little help or are still waiting for it.