United Nations, Sep 20 (IANS): The UN has made an appeal for around $357 million to help the Pakistani government in providing assistance to over five million people affected by floods in the country, a UN spokesman said.

The appeal -- named the UN Rapid Response Plan for 2011 -- aims to provide food, water, sanitation, health and emergency shelters to the worst hit families in Pakistan's southern provinces of Sindh and Balochistan over the next six months, Xinhua quoted Martin Nesirky as saying Monday.

Valerie Amos, UN under-secretary-general for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, said: "More than five million people are struggling to survive massive flooding across southern Pakistan, and the rains continue to fall."

This year's rains have affected 5.4 million people in Sindh and Balochistan, destroyed nearly one million homes, and forced at least 824,000 people to move into make-shift settlements, according to reports.

The UN has distributed more than 20,000 shelter kits and household goods, as well as 530,000 plastic sheets, statistics said.

More than 650,000 people have received medical care, and 500,000 people will receive food aid by the end of September. The UN also aims to provide 400,000 people with access to safe drinking water over the coming days.

Devastating floods in Pakistan in 2010 affected around 20 million people, and resulted in 2,000 deaths.