25 Aug 2010

Six million in Pakistan need shelter - UN

3:20 pm on 25 August 2010

The United Nations estimates some six million people in Pakistan now need basic shelter, describing the humanitarian situation caused by the flood disaster as critical.

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As floodwaters continue to travel south, tens of thousands more people are being displaced each day, the BBC reports.

The UN says it had raised some 70% of the money needed to provide emergency relief, but it says many flood victims have yet to receive any help at all.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in talks with Pakistan officials on how to shore up the battered economy to maintain stability.

The IMF said it would review Pakistan's budget and economic prospects due to the magnitude of a disaster that has ravaged crops and infrastructure.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan's Food Ministry says the floods have destroyed or extensively damaged crops, including cotton, rice, sugarcane, and maize over 1.7 million hectares of land.

The biggest loss is in rice-growing areas with more than half a million hectares destroyed.