15 Sep 2011

Millions affected by Pakistan floods

2:07 pm on 15 September 2011

International aid agency Oxfam says immediate relief is needed for millions of people affected by floods in southern Pakistan.

More than five million people have already been affected by the floods and reports say more than 200 people have died.

The agency said it was launching an emergency aid response to help flood victims in the Sindh province.

Oxfam's country director in Pakistan, Neva Khan, said large swathes of land were underwater and people were desperately awaiting relief.

"They have lost their crops, homes and livestock for the second time - and been pushed from last year's disaster to this one."

Millions were displaced across the country and about 2,000 people died as torrential monsoon rains in 2010 caused rivers to burst their banks, washing away homes and property. Sindh was one of the worst affected regions, the BBC reports.

On Monday, the UN said it had begun efforts to feed 500,000 people affected by the floods and rain, initially concentrating its efforts in Sindh's badly-hit Badin district.