ISLAMABAD: The United Nations warned on Saturday of a food security and shelter crisis, saying it would soon run out of its stocks of food, essential medicines and tents if the international community failed to support the rapid response plan for flood victims in Sindh.

Speaking at a briefing for diplomats and donor agencies arranged by the cabinet division and National Disaster Management Authority, UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan Timo Pakkala said that after almost a week of its launch, confirmed donor contributions to the rapid response plan amounted to only $9 million — just around 3 per cent of the funds required.

“This is awfully inadequate,” he said.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the scale of devastation this year was no less than what the nation experienced last year.

Since the spread of the floods is all across Sindh, the national and international relief agencies and the media must portray its severity to the world, he added.

Mr Gilani said the calamity besides claiming hundreds of lives had also resulted in huge economic loss as standing crops had been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of houses washed away or damaged.

Mr Pakkala termed the resource situation extremely dire and said new funding commitments for the plan were needed urgently.

“I appeal to the international community to fully support the people of Pakistan and the rapid response plan to ensure that we can save lives now as well as tomorrow,” he said.

He said that an emergency grant was being processed for Pakistan from the UN’s central emergency response fund. The UN emergency support, he pointed out, came largely from contingency and in-country stocks.

“The UN will face a depletion of relief food in one month and emergency shelter items will run out within weeks,” he said.

He said that more than 80 per cent of people affected by floods relied directly or indirectly upon agriculture and livestock for their livelihood.

“There are serious concerns related to the rise in cases of waterborne diseases, along with malaria and dengue fever. Many people are living without shelter and are exposed to contaminated stagnant water.”

NDMA chairman Dr Zafar Qadir said that the death toll had reached 392 and the number of houses damaged by the floods was 1.5 million.