Pakistan struggles to cope with growing floods

Pakistan’s government faced rising national anger today as it continued to appear overwhelmed by the scale of floods that have killed at least 1,500 and affected millions more.

Heavy rains across the country continued to raise water levels in already swollen rivers, displacing hordes of extra people every day.

Thousands in Shikarpur and Sukkur camped out on roads, bridges and railway tracks – any dry ground they could find – often with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and perhaps a plastic sheet to keep off the rain.

The worst floods in Pakistan’s history hit the country as the government is already struggling with a faltering economy and a war against the Taliban that has killed thousands of people.

The West has stepped in to support the government by donating tens of millions of pounds and providing relief supplies and assistance.

But the UN special envoy for the disaster, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said that Pakistan will need billions of dollars more from international donors to recover from the floods, a daunting prospect at a time when the financial crisis has shrunk aid budgets in many countries.

A faltering relief effort could open the door to hard-line Islamist groups, which have already been delivering aid in the north-west – an area still trying to recover from an intense war between the army and the Taliban last spring.

The disaster could also have serious repercussions for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who has been criticised for going through with a planned trip to France and Britain despite the devastating floods at home.