SUPERFLOOD: PAKISTAN NEEDS HELP FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Pakistan is in dire need of help from the
international community to overcome the difficulties caused by the massive flood
that hit the country.

Its High Commissioner to Malaysia Masood Khalid said Pakistan was now facing
a very difficult situation because of the "superflood", and being a developing
country, its resources were constrained and limited.

He said the Pakistan government was focusing on reaching the flood victims,
providing aid and rescuing them to safer places.

"The entire focus is to provide food and shelter to these people. We have to
mobilise all resources...our army, relief agencies and personnel who work round
the clock to help people in need," he told reporters at Pakistan's 63rd
Independence Day celebration at the High Commission, here, Saturday.

The celebration was held in a simple manner and in sombre atmosphere,
considering the current situation in the country.

Masood also expressed his gratitude for the monetary contribution and
humanitarian supplies from the government of Malaysia.

More than 1,600 were killed in the disaster and 15 million others displaced.
Pakistan's agriculture-based economy, heavily dependent on foreign aid, has
suffered a major blow.

The United Nations have appealed for US$459 million in aid, and warned a
second wave of death if help did not arrive quickly.

Masood said the World Bank has also estimated that US$1 billion worth of
crops have been swept away during the disaster.

"This is a bigger tragedy than the tsunami in 2004 and earthquake that hit
Pakistan in 2005 and Haiti," he said, stressing that the next couple of weeks
would be crucial to Pakistan.

"July and August is a rainy season. There have been unprecendented rain and
water flows. My own feelings is that it will take one to two weeks (for the
water to recede).

"And after that will be difficult undertakings of reconstruction and
rehabilitation. This is where the challenge lies," he said.
-- BERNAMA