At least 1,500 people have been killed and 100,000 are at risk of disease due to devastating floods that have hit Pakistan.
The floodwaters first hit Pakistan's mountainous northwest over the weekend, then surged into the heartland on Tuesday, swamping dozens of villages on the banks of affected rivers.
According to reports, tens of thousands of people affected by the flooding are cut off from help due to swollen rivers and washed-out bridges and roadways that have made it impossible for rescue crews to get to them.
Downed communication lines have also made it difficult if not impossible for people in affected areas to communicate their needs.
And on Tuesday, new rains in the hard-hit northwest added to the calamity, threatening to overwhelm a major dam --a development that would unleash a new torrent into the already-devastated area.
In Kot Addu, an area in Punjab province, about 3,000 people were marooned Tuesday after floodwaters overwhelmed a protective bank, forcing a frantic military evacuation, The Associated Press reports.
Fateh Mohammad and his family weren't expecting the torrent of water that suddenly appeared.
"We just ran away with our children, leaving behind everything. All our possessions are drowned in the water. We have nothing," he told AP while taking refuge on higher ground.
In large parts of Kot Addu and the nearby Layyah area, in the south of Punjab province, flooding was so high that only treetops and the roofs of some buildings were visible in footage gathered by helicopter.
Residents sought higher ground for themselves and their livestock amid the rising waters.
The majority of those affected by the flooding live in Pakistan's mountainous northwest. Of the 3.2 million people estimated to be affected by the floods, 2.5 million live in the northwest, UNICEF spokesperson Marco Jimenez told reporters.
Disease risk
While about 1,500 people have been killed in the flooding, the death toll could worsen as the risk of disease increases, the World Health Organization warned.
Fadela Chaib, a spokesperson for the organization warned Tuesday that 100,000 people are at risk of disease and in dire need of clean water.
Many residents of the affected areas have complained about the government's perceived lack of response, saying little or no help has arrived in many areas.
On Monday about 300 people blocked a major roadway in Nowshera district to protest the government inaction.
