UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations and partners, in coordination with Pakistani authorities, have dispatched key relief items, including food, tents and medical supplies to areas hit by heavy monsoon rains and flash floods that have killed at least 739 people across the country since late June, according to a report citing UN agencies and national authorities. The report said thousands of people have been displaced by the gushing waters, destroying homes and crops, with more severe weather expected in the weeks ahead. Federal and provincial authorities are leading the response, having mobilized over 2,000 personnel for rescue and evacuation, the report added. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has deployed field coordinators to the hardest-hit districts and activated emergency mechanisms, including the release of funds from its regional humanitarian envelope for Pakistan – prioritizing life-saving assistance in health, water, food security and shelter. For its part, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has dispatched essential medicines and hygiene kits to affected districts. Each kit includes soap, water containers and other hygiene supplies to help prevent disease outbreaks. The report cited Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority as also reporting 978 injuries and the destruction or damage of more than 2,400 houses, while over 1,000 livestock have been lost as of Thursday, 21 August. Severe weather is forecast to continue into early September, raising the risk of further flooding, landslides and crop losses, according to OCHA. The northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has borne the brunt of the disaster, the report highlighted. Authorities declared a state of emergency in nine districts, including Buner, Shangla and Mansehra, after torrential rains between 15 and 19 August left 368 people dead, 182 injured and damaged more than 1,300 homes. Nearly 100 schools were also destroyed. The international charity CARE said its teams found widespread devastation in Buner, where families reported homes and livelihoods swept away within minutes by torrents of floodwater carrying boulders and debris.The toll on children has been particularly severe, with displacement, loss of schooling and limited access to safe water putting their health and well-being at grave risk.