Relief efforts in Pakistan continue to be hampered by torrential rain, rising flood waters and ruined infrastructure as thousands remain out of reach despite aid workers attempting to reach victims by helicopter, boat, on foot or with donkeys.

A third of the country, a land mass the size of England, is now underwater as the flood wave passes through the southern province of Sindh. Water levels continue to rise ever further,  threatening the Guddu and Sukkur barrages. Mass evacuations are seeing families pour out of villages and into relief camps as people anticipate the worst.

Muhammad Hayat Sial, who works for ActionAid, is part of the relief team in Kot Addu in Punjab providing aid to survivors in coordination with the district government:

“We were the first ones to reach those hit by the disaster in Koh Addu with rescue and relief support. So far, five relief camps have been set up in government buildings and 3,000 people are being provided with food, medical care and washing facilities. We are looking after the specific needs of women and girls and providing female doctors. In this camp there are 35 expectant mothers, three of which have just given birth,” he said.

ActionAid is helping 23,000 people throughout the country, and plans to scale up coverage in the days to come as urgent needs for food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods continue to multiply.

The flooding has so far claimed the lives of at least 1,600 people and affected up to 14 million, more than those affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (five million), the 2005 Kashmir earthquake (three million) and the 2010 Haiti earthquake (three million) combined.