GENEVA, July 18: The United Nations and the Red Cross appealed on Wednesday for $55 million in emergency aid for hundreds of thousands of flood victims, warning that an already dire situation could worsen in Pakistan.

Further heavy rains were expected in the south-western regions stricken since late June, increasing the risk of new flooding, while moving floodwaters in Sindh were still causing havoc, the agencies said in statements.

Some 2.5 million people have been affected by the flooding and more than 377,000 have fled their homes in Balochistan and Sindh provinces, the UN humanitarian coordination office said in a situation report.

“I urge the world to respond urgently and generously to this appeal,” said UN emergency relief coordinator John Holmes.

“If we don’t act quickly their plight is likely to deteriorate further,” he warned.

The UN appeal totals 38 million dollars in emergency aid for shelter water, health care and food.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies more than doubled its emergency appeal to help some 360,000 of the flood victims to 17 million dollars.

More than 67,000 homes have been destroyed in the flooding in the provinces, which was triggered by a tropical cyclone at the end of June and torrential rains, according to the Federation.

Many people are still living in makeshift camps and public buildings.

“Shelter is still a major issue,” said the Federation's head of disaster management in Pakistan, Asar Ul Haq. The UN said that the risk of flooding in southern plains was increasing.

Holmes told journalists that weather forecasters were also predicting above average rainfalls during the next two months in Pakistan.

“The danger of flooding has by no means receded,” he added, warning that local dams were under severe strain.

Moving flood waters, fuelled by ongoing rain, were still affecting communities in Sindh, according to the Red Cross federation.

“We’re also concerned that it’s threatening new villages in the region,” said Federation coordination team leader Ian Heigh.

“The situation is improving somewhat in western Balochistan, where the waters are receding,” he added.

About 280 people have died in the floods and 217 are missing, according to official Pakistani data cited by the UN.

The UN and Red Cross appeals are closely coordinated with the Pakistani government's own aid operations.

“They have not appealed for help but have said that help from the international community was welcome, that’s the basis on which we've operated,” Holmes said.

—AFP