Pakistanis flee floods

Thousands of Pakistanis are fleeing their homes in southern coastal areas as floods sweep down from the north.



The UN says more than 17 million people have been affected by the monsoon floods, and about 1.2 million homes have been destroyed.



Meanwhile, officials say some 200 thousand people have been evacuated in the Thatta area of Sindh province, where dozens of villages are submerged.



In the north, workers have begun clearing up as the floods recede.



The UN has appealed for more helicopters to reach 800,000 people who are cut off.



Doctors in many areas are struggling to cope with the spread of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera.



Five million Pakistanis have no shelter, and urgently need tents or plastic sheeting to protect them from the sun.