20 million affected by Pakistan floods

Pakistan says 20 million people have been affected by devastating floods, six million more than previously thought, as the United Nations confirmed the first case of cholera in the country. The number of people affected had generally been counted at 14 million until now, and more than 1,600 people have been killed, in Pakistan's worst natural disaster. But amid much public discussion about the effectiveness of the government's handling of the flood disaster, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani cited the higher figure of 20 million and stressed the challenge it posed. The United Nations has confirmed at least one case of cholera in flood-ravaged Pakistan, where a second wave of water continues to threaten parts of Sindh province. The cholera case was reported in Mingora, the main town in the northwestern Swat valley, which has seen some of the most extensive damage. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan tonight, before meeting officials and touring flood-hit areas tomorrow.

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