IRC expresses concerns over conditions of flood-hit people in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD -- International Rescue Committee (IRC) has expressed concerns over the conditions of flood-affected people in Pakistan as an estimated 14.6 million people are in need of food assistance, including 8.6 million people who are experiencing an extreme level of food insecurity.

'Six months since extreme flooding submerged one-third of Pakistan, 5 million people remain living in flooded areas, while food insecurity and malnutrition across the country has intensified,' said IRC in press release.

The IRC is warning that an estimated 14.6 million people are in need of food assistance, including 8.6 million people who are experiencing an extreme level of food insecurity and are facing impossible decisions on how to cope, skipping meals and selling off assets. With farmland and agriculture still submerged, families are unable to grow food or earn an income.

Women and children are at risk of exploitation and abuse, while families are forced to sell assets to make ends meet.

As winter takes hold and temperatures drop to below freezing, many communities affected by the floods now face the daunting challenge of surviving without housing, food, clean water and fuel sources for warmth. Since the floods started in July 2022, the...