Flood disaster will have long tail: UK

SUKKUR (Agencies) British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg warned on Wednesday that flood-hit Pakistan will need aid for years to come as he saw the devastation for himself. The British Deputy Prime Minister said the disaster would have a 'long tail, with threats from water-borne disease and opportunistic extremists.
Speaking after being shown aid camps near Sukkur - one of the worst affected regions - Clegg said: I think the sheer scale of this, it is really quite difficult to comprehend. The terrible thing is that it has got a long tail. It has got a lot of aftershocks that are going to last for a long time.
He said the international communitys response has been too slow, but praised donations from the British government and public. We have to make a huge effort to provide important emergency aid, but really stick with this for the long term, he said.
Clegg stressed that the floodwaters have not drained away in many areas, and there is a 'real danger of diseases taking hold. Its going to take years and years for normality to come back to Pakistan, he added.
He also warned that the influence of extremist groups could be boosted by the disaster. The danger always is that you get groups who have an ulterior motive who provide aid to try to curry favour, he went on.