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ICRC facing obstacles in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Security problems have slowed the response time for aid workers trying to reach flood-stricken Pakistanis, officials with the ICRC said.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 20 million Pakistanis are affected by flooding that reached its high point in July. Nearly half of those affected are in the south of the country.

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The International Committee of the Red Cross said Pakistanis living in Balochistan province are especially hard hit, though aid workers are having a tough time reaching them.

"Those people were already in need of food, water, shelter and medicines," said Adrian Zimmermann, head of the ICRC group working in Quetta. "Security problems, isolation and restrictions on the movements of our staff have rendered those needs more intense."

The ICRC said it was teaming with the Pakistani Red Crescent Society to set up areas for aid distribution in the hardest-hit areas.

"We have already launched operations to help 350,000 flood victims in Balochistan but we need better access," said Zimmermann in a statement.

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