Monsoon rains have submerged a third of Pakistan, claiming at least 1,191 lives and unleashing powerful floods that have washed away swathes of vital crops and damaged more than a million homes.

The International Water Management Institute’s assessment based on satellite imagery paints an even more gloomy picture, stating that around 47 per cent of Pakistan’s total area is inundated.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called it “a monsoon on steroids” as he launched an international appeal for the country on Tuesday for $160 million in emergency funding.

Officials say more than 33 million people are affected and the rehabilitation will cost more than $10 billion.

Header image: A flood victim man wades through flood water with a damaged house in the background, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Gari Yasin, Shikarpur on Wednesday (Aug 31).