Impact of Pakistan floods equal to 3 disasters

THE Pakistan floods could affect more people than the world’s last three great disasters combined, the UN warned yesterday.

It said the toll could exceed the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Deaths in each of those were much higher than the 1,500 people killed so far in the floods that first hit Pakistan two weeks ago. But the Pakistani government estimates that over 13 million people have been affected – 2m more than the other disasters combined.