Chief of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Daniele Donati has said that millions of livestock were at risk and at least 200,000 cows, sheep, buffalo, goats and donkeys had already killed.

Talking to APP here on Tuesday, he said that Pakistans’ worst floods in decades displaced more than 1.2 million people and left 100,000 families in desperate need of assistance. While there is intervention to provide food and medicine for survivors, agriculture also needs immediate support. In good times people build up their herds and in bad times they sell livestock to generate cash, he added.

He said that it is one of the greatest tests of global solidarity. To a question, Donati said that the United States led a stream of pledges of more funds for Pakistan during a special meeting of the UN General Assembly.

He said that the UN has already issued an appeal for $459-million assistance of which about 60% had been pledged. In addition to washing away houses and farms, the floods have destroyed a number of key bridges and left many roads submerged, effectively isolating some of the hardest-hit areas from the rest of the country, he said.

To a another question, he said that about 700,000 hectares of crops, including rice and cotton, are under water or destroyed by floodwaters.

The autumn wheat crop is now at risk and the price of food has been rising sharply, he maintained.

He said further said that this tragedy is unfolding from north to south. In the southern part of Pakistan, flood waters are still flowing in, rushing through communities, and creating tremendous destruction in Sindh province.

The aid agency is making multiple daily trips to displacement camps with water tankers, building latrines, and preparing to open two mobile health units to meet pressing medical needs.