UN chief: Never seen anything like Pakistan floods

(August 16, 2010) U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he has never seen anything like the flood disaster in Pakistan, and urged foreign donors to speed up assistance to the 20 million people affected. Ban's comments after surveying the devastation over the weekend reflect the concern of the international community about the unfolding disaster in Pakistan, which is battling al-Qaida and Taliban militants, has a weak and unpopular government, and an anemic economy propped up by international assistance. «This has been a heart-wrenching day for me,» Ban said on Sunday after flying over the hard-hit areas with President Asif Ali Zardari. «In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this,» he added. The monsoon-triggered floods that began more than two weeks ago in Pakistan's mountainous northwest have now hit about one-quarter of the country, especially its agricultural heartland. While the death toll of 1,500 is relatively small, the scale of the flooding and number of people whose lives have been disrupted is staggering. On Saturday, the prime minister said 20 million people had been made homeless in the disaster. The world body has appealed for an initial $460 million to provide relief, but only 20 percent has been given. Once the floods recede, billions more will be needed for reconstruction and getting people back to work in the already-poor nation of 170 million people. The International Monetary Fund has warned that the floods could dent economic growth and fuel inflation.