Charities in Pakistan disaster plea

Houses and narrow surrounding are are left amid flooded waters in Kot Addu, Pakistan (AP)
12 April 2012

British charities have launched an appeal to raise money for flood-hit Pakistan.

The Disasters Emergency Committee is broadcasting a series of appeals on TV and radio asking for donations.

More than 1,500 people have so far been killed and three million affected by the worst flooding in Pakistan in living memory.

The DEC said: "In the aftermath of the floods there is a serious risk to survivors from potentially deadly diseases which will spread as a result of contaminated surface and drinking water."

Its Pakistan Floods Appeal will see special broadcasts run on the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4, Channel Five and independent radio stations.

After causing huge destruction in Pakistan's volatile north-west region, floodwaters deluged villages and some urban centres in Punjab, the richest and most populous province.

Monsoon season in Pakistan usually lasts about three months, through mid-September. In a typical year, the country gets an average 5.4in of rainfall during the monsoon season.

This year it had already received 6.3ins, said Muhammad Hanif, head of the National Weather Forecasting Centre in Islamabad.

The rains are falling about 25 to 30 % above normal rates, Mr Hanif said. The north-west experienced "once-in-a-century" rains, hitting it the hardest. Rain is expected there in coming days, though at normal levels that should allow some recovery. The vast majority of deaths have been reported in the north west.

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