Photo stories: Pakistan floods

Flood waters have inundated large swathes of Pakistan since monsoon rains began falling late last month, swamping towns and villages and leaving many communities isolated. A helicopter gives an aerial view of some of the floods near the city of Multan in Punjab province. (15 August 2010) UN Photo/Evan Schneider

These women and children have taken shelter at the Sultan Colony camp near Multan. An estimated 2 million people have been displaced by the floods and the situation could worsen as more rains are forecast. (15 August 2010) UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Flood victims load a truck with their belongings near the city of Nowshera in Pakistan’s northwest. Some estimates indicate as many as 20 million Pakistanis have been affected by the disaster, with no region of the country left untouched. (3 August 2010) UN Photo/WFP/Amjad Jamal

An Afghan refugee living in Pakistan attempts to salvage his belongings from the mud. While eastern Afghanistan has also suffered from the floods, Pakistan has been by far the worst affected. (August 2010) Photo A. Fazzina for UNHCR/Noor

A man walks through a street filled with mud and water in Nowshera in Pakistan’s northwest. UN aid agencies are warning that the risk of outbreaks of waterborne diseases is very high in the wake of the disaster. (3 August 2010) UN Photo/WFP/Amjad Jamal

A convoy of trucks from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) brings relief items to the Charsada district in Pakistan’s northwest. UN aid agencies are providing food, clean drinking water, shelter and health care and other services to flood victims. (August 2010) Photo UNHCR/Z. Jamal

A makeshift camp runs along the high ground beside a road in Pakistan. For many people whose homes were deluged or swept away, this is their only hope of shelter as they cannot afford formal accommodation. (August 2010) Photo A. Fazzina for UNHCR/Noor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon greets residents of Sultan Colony, an informal encampment of flood victims near Multan. The UN chief visited Pakistan to voice his support for the country and to press the international community to speed up its assistance efforts. (15 August 2010) UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Ban Ki-moon speaks with a group of women survivors at Sultan Colony encampment. The Secretary-General later described some of the scenes he witnessed during his visit as “heart-wrenching.” (15 August 2010) UN Photo/Evan Schneider

While a final death toll is not yet clear, the focus of UN relief efforts is now on helping the survivors, such as this family waiting for food aid. During his visit Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged that the UN would do all that it can to assist people in need. (August 2010) Photo UNHCR/R. Ali