ICRC says floods, violence plague Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Pakistani authorities are called on to respond to the flood disaster while making sure aid groups can break through security barriers, the ICRC said.

Summer monsoon rains soaked much of Central Asia, causing river banks to overflow in Pakistan. At the height of the flood, nearly one-quarter of the country was underwater.

Meanwhile, the military continues to struggle with insecurity along the volatile border with Afghanistan.

"One cannot place too much emphasis on the fact that the flooding has come on top of armed violence already occurring in various parts of the country," said Andre Paquet, a top official with the International Committee of the Red Cross, in a statement.

Paquet said the primary challenge for humanitarian relief work was to get access to areas of Pakistan that were still underwater.

"Of course there are security problems linked to crime and logistical constraints, which prevent full and unhindered field deployment," he said. "Yet the main obstacles impeding humanitarian work stem from restrictions imposed by the authorities."

He added that the situation in Pakistan was complicated by the military's efforts to respond to the floods while at the same time struggling to control insurgent elements.

"No one can help the victims of armed violence and flooding in Pakistan unless at least a certain minimum level of security is maintained," he said.