Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has pledged to provide relief to millions of Pakistanis dealing with devastating floods following weeks of monsoon rains.
Mr. Gilani flew Thursday to the southwestern Baluchistan region where he surveyed the flood damage and said his government will do its best to meet the aid needs.
The United States has stepped up its relief effort by sending the aircraft carrier USS Peleliu to Pakistan with 19 helicopters on board. They will replace the six combat helicopters that had been on loan from the U.S. war effort in neighboring Afghanistan.
The United Nations appealed Wednesday for nearly $460 million in emergency aid amid fears that militants could exploit the crisis.
So far, the floods have killed more than 1,600 people and affected close to 14 million others in the provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.
U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said Wednesday U.N. agencies and other groups will use the emergency aid to support Pakistan's government in providing shelter, food, water and medical care for 6 to 7 million people.
A U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan (Martin Mogwanja) said U.N. health workers already have noted high levels of gastroenteritis and diarrhea among flood victims.
Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations Abdullah Hussain Haroon called the floods a "horrendous disaster," saying they have affected 150,000 square kilometers of land and wiped out 4,700 villages.
Islamist groups already have called on Islamabad to reject Western assistance, which they say is meant to subjugate Pakistan. They have been providing their own aid to flooded communities, highlighting shortfalls in the government's response to the disaster.
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