UN chief visits flood-stricken Pakistan as cholera concerns loom

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Sunday with Pakistan's president, and both men urged the international community to step up efforts to help the millions affected by flooding in Pakistan.

Ban, who arrived in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and President Asif Ali Zardari held talks before visiting some of the areas affected by floodwaters responsible for nearly 1,400 deaths.

"I am here ... to share my sympathy and solidarity of the United Nations together with the people and government of Pakistan," Ban said. "I am here also to urge the world community to speed up their assistance to Pakistani people."

He said he has visited scenes of natural disasters worldwide, but has seen "nothing like this. The scale of the disaster is so large -- so many people and in so many places, in so much need."

One in 10 Pakistanis -- up to 20 million people -- has been directly or indirectly affected by the floodwaters, he said.

"Thousands of towns and villages have simply been washed away," Ban said. "Roads, buildings, bridges, crops -- millions of livelihoods have been lost. People are marooned on tiny islands with the floodwaters all around them. They are drinking dirty water. They are living in the mud and ruins of their lives. Many have lost family and friends. Many more are afraid their children and loved ones will not survive in these conditions."

Zardari said his nation needs more international help to deal with the immediate recovery efforts as well as longer-term reconstruction and infrastructure development, according to his spokesman, Farhatullah Babar.

The president told Ban that flooding hit 71 districts so far, destroying more than 720,000 dwellings, Babar said. Zardari also said that the total destruction in terms of human life, property, cattle and infrastructure may be far worse than initial estimates, the spokesman told reporters.

Zardari thanked Ban for the U.N. appeal to the world community for $460 million so far in emergency aid, Babar said. However, Zardari added that his government was assessing the need for further resources and plans to approach other international bodies including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for further assistance, according to Babar.

Ban said he has decided to allocate an additional $10 million from the U.N.'s Central Emergency Response Fund. A total of $27 million has been allocated since the crisis began, he said.

More here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/15/pakistan.floods/index.html?hpt=T2