'Nothing left' for Pakistan flood survivors

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38520314/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

updated 2 hours 50 minutes ago

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PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Relief efforts in Pakistan's flood-ravaged northwest picked up pace Monday, but survivors complained about government inaction — a worrying sign for authorities seeking public support for the fight against militants in the region.

Around 300 people blocked a major road in the hard-hit Nowshera district to protest at receiving little or no aid, witnesses said. Other survivors returned to devastated villages, wading through waist-high water to salvage chairs, plates and other possessions — a wall clock, a battered fridge — from beneath mud and debris.

"We have nothing, we are just depending on the mercy of God. Nothing left except this wet wheat," said Marjan Khan, sorting through piles of the grain laid out on wooden beds.

Scores of bridges, roads and buildings have been washed away by the torrents, which were triggered by exceptionally heavy monsoon rain. The floods are the worst in a generation, and weather forecasters say more rains are due to fall south and central Pakistan.

2 million need assistance
The death toll was at least 1,200 on Monday, with up to 2 million survivors requiring assistance.

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