Floods affect 4.5 million people across the country: UN

Devastating floods across the country have affected an estimated 4.5 million people, United Nations officials said on Friday, as relief workers warned that aid needs were ‘absolutely daunting’.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates globally that 4.5 million people have been affected by the flooding, said UN spokeswoman Elena Ponomareva, marking an increase of some 300,000 in a day.

Citing estimates from Pakistani authorities, UN relief agencies said an estimated 252,000 homes have been destroyed as relentless monsoon rains continue and flood water roll southwards through some of the poorest parts of the country.

As we're hearing, the scale of the needs is absolutely daunting, said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.