Indian authorities, hampered by heavy rain and damaged roads, struggled to provide aid to millions of displaced villagers in the eastern state of Bihar that has seen the worst flooding in 50 years.
The Kosi river burst a dam in neighbouring Nepal earlier this month, deluging Bihar and drowning village after village in its path as authorities failed to evacuate millions in time.
About 85 people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced by floodwaters that have smashed houses and destroyed 100,000 hectares of farmland.
Villagers, many of them eating uncooked rice and flour mixed with polluted water to survive, have become increasingly desperate as the swift flowing Kosi river continued to burst embankments and move into new areas.
Floods have killed more than 1,000 people in South Asia since the monsoon began in June, mainly in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where 785 people lost their lives, while other deaths were reported from Nepal and Bangladesh.
Daniel Toole, UNICEF's regional director for South Asia said: ‘These are some of the worst floods in generations and they present a huge challenge for governments and humanitarian organisations'.
UNICEF estimates that it will be months before the displaced families can move back to their homes and expressed concerned over the hygiene conditions of the government-run relief camps.
Cases of diarrhoea were reported from many relief camps in the state.
