New York: The UN has started distributing food aid to victims of Pakistan s flood, which have affected about 500,000 people in nearly 100 villages of Peshawar district.

The floods completely destroyed the maize crop, washed away most of the mud houses and roads in the affected villages and led to the loss of some 15,000 livestock, besides damaging drinking water resources and leading to a rise in health problems, a UN World Food Programme (WFP) assessment said.

Nearly 100 villages with about 500,000 people were affected after torrential rains flooded the local Thara Khur stream which flows from Landi Kotal to Charsada in Peshawar district, the UN agency said.

"WFP will provide 741 tons of wheat flour, 55 tons of cooking oil and 22 tons of biscuits to support nearly 89,000 people in Peshawar district, where food assistance is badly needed," the head of WFP s provincial office in Peshawar said.

WFP has already distributed food to 1,200 victims in the areas of Kankola and Larama, and further distributions are planned for more than 3,500 people in Matra.

The agency has also started an immediate response emergency operation to provide food rations for a month through a one-time distribution. It has stressed that additional aid, including food, is needed to meet the minimum food consumption requirements of all worst-affected people.

Meanwhile, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have provided medicines, while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has contributed tents to help the victims.
Source : PTI