United Nations Radio

United Nations relief agencies are preparing relief assistance to India and Pakistan to help them cope with floods that have caused destruction over the past few days. ~

The floods, the worst the two countries have seen in 50 years, have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

The spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund, Miranda Eels says that in Bihar, in India, the floods have affected more than one million people.

"And in Nepal floods there have caused distress to around 70,000. The official death toll is still quite small, around 55, although we are expecting this figure to rise over the next few days. In India itself over a thousand villages in 13 districts of North Bihar have been affected causing large-scale displacement."

The World Health Organization has offered technical assistance to the government of India and pre-positioned emergency health kits to combat cases of diarrhoea or malaria in Nepal.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed sadness at the loss of life and damage caused by flooding in Bihar, India and has extended his condolences to those affected.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Dianne Penn.

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