From the Swat Valley in the north to Sindh province in the south, as many as 15 million Pakistanis have been affected by torrential monsoon rains that have washed away villages and bloated rivers, authorities said on August 11.

Pakistan's representative to the United Nations said many people have not yet grasped the massive scale of Pakistan's suffering and warned it could still get worse because of ongoing rain.

"It is horrendous," said Abdullah Hussain Haroon. "It is going to put us back so many years that we're not even starting on the infrastructure."

The Pakistan Disaster Authority confirmed 1,313 deaths on August 11. It said 1,588 people have been injured and 352,291 people have been rescued. More than 722,000 houses have been damaged.

Many Pakistanis now face severe food shortages, and aid agencies stepped up appeals for global assistance. The United Nations launched a flash appeal for US$460 million in humanitarian assistance, and the United States pledged another US$20 million on top of the US$35 million already pledged.

The Pakistani military has 55 helicopters and 621 boats taking part in aid and rescue efforts.