The United Nations on Monday began a drive to feed half a million people affected by torrential rains for the second year running. The UN food agency said Monday it had started to provide emergency supplies to the first of half a million people, following a weekend appeal from Pakistan.

UN, US offer assistance

The United States has also sent food and medical aid to nearly 350,000 Pakistanis, while Washington hopes the medical assistance can reach around 500, 000 people, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland has said.

Meanwhile, China, Pakistan's most trusted foreign ally, has pledged 4.7 million US dollars for urgent humanitarian assistance and its ambassador on Monday handed over a check worth 50,000 US dollars to the disaster management authority.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said recent rains in Sindh had inundated 4.1 million acres, including 1.7 million acres of crops. 700,000 houses had been damaged, 150,000 people in relief camps need immediate assistance and 64,000 livestock had been lost. The UN children's agency said up to 2.5 million children in southern Pakistan are affected by the floods.

Government under pressure

The 2010 floods killed about 2,000 people and made 11 million homeless in one of Pakistan's worst natural disasters. One-fifth of Pakistan was then submerged in water - an area the size of Italy. The government faced a 10 billion US dollar bill to repair damage to homes, bridges, roads and other infrastructure.

Still, more than a year later, over 800,000 families remain without permanent shelter, and more than a million people need food assistance, according to the aid organization Oxfam.

Monsoon rains sweep the subcontinent from June to September and are crucial for agriculture. Pakistan, which relies heavily on foreign aid, cannot afford heavy losses in its agricultural sector, a pillar of the economy.

Pakistan's government, already battling Taliban militants, allegations of widespread corruption and public anger over power cuts and poverty, is under immense pressure.

Author: Manasi Gopalakrishnan (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Sarah Berning