Islamabad, Oct 8 (IANS): Almost the entire melon crops and 75 percent of cotton in Pakistan's Sindh province have perished. Paddy, sugarcane and banana also bore the brunt, said officials Friday.

Crops worth Rs.218 billion (about $2.4 billion) have been destroyed, and 50 percent of the crops sown would never see harvest, said the agriculture department.

Red pepper, tomato, onion etc. were also hit due to the nonstop rain and the subsequent flooding, causing their prices to shoot up in the markets, Geo TV reported.

Pakistani traders have imported onions and tomatoes from India to meet the shortfall.

Sindh has been reeling under floods since mid-August due to persistent rain. Thousands of people have been displaced.

The UN Friday announced about $17 million in emergency aid to Pakistan. The money will be used to provide assistance in healthcare, safe water, sanitation, food, shelter material, blankets and other life-saving support, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).