U.N. seeks $2B for Pakistan relief

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- As the disastrous effects of flooding unfold in Pakistan, the United Nations and aid groups are appealing for $2 billion in donations.

"We are seeing the equivalent of a new disaster every few days in Pakistan," Valerie Amos, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator who visited stricken areas last week, said in a U.N. release Friday.

"Yesterday, new breaches of the embankments of Manchhar Lake in Sindh flooded more villages. Millions of people have lost everything. Our task is to give people the help they need."

The United Nations is seeking money to support 483 relief projects in agriculture, camp coordination and management, community restoration, coordination, education, food, health, logistics, nutrition, protection, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene.

The work is to be carried out by 15 U.N. bodies, the International Organization for Migration and 156 national and international non-governmental organizations.

Oxfam said food aid has not reached almost 4 million people in need and warned that farmers are likely to miss the planting season, with water yet to recede in some areas and tools washed away by the flood.

Overall, more than 20 million people have been affected by the floods that started two months ago.