Pakistan flood survivors stranded without sufficient aid

Survivors of the devastating floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan have expressed outrage over what they are calling inadequate governmental aid.

Reuters

As the death toll topped 1,300 on Sunday, people stranded without homes say that they are being crammed into shelters without sufficient food or medicine.

Television footage in Pakistan showed distressing images of people clinging to the walls and rooftops of damaged houses as water rushed through villages, destroying thousands of homes and farms.

Survivors now face the threat of waterborne diseases.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the northwest province's information minister, said rescue teams were trying to reach 1,500 tourists stranded in Swat district, the scene of a major anti-Taliban military offensive last year.

"We are also getting confirmation of reports about an outbreak of cholera in some areas of Swat," Hussain said.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply saddened" by the losses incurred in the worst floods in Pakistan for 80 years, reiterating a full commitment to "meeting the humanitarian needs" of those affected.

He also pledged extra aid of up to 10 million dollars to help in the crisis, which local officials say has affected more than 1.5 million people in Pakistan's northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The US government announced an initial 10-million-dollar aid pledge and has rushed helicopters and boats to Pakistan.