Over 2.5 million children under the age of five, and about 1.4 million pregnant and lactating women in Pakistan have been affected by the devastating floods in the country, a report released by an international anti-poverty agency has said.

The Actionaid report said that there was an urgent need for nutrition assistance, especially for the young children and pregnant and lactating women.

It also highlighted that the number of schools being used as shelters had decreased to 5,258 and 1.3 million people were living in them.

"At least 436 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed and there is a need to prevent emerging health threats and outbreaks of diseases and to ensure that essential medical supplies reach affected communities in time," The Dawn quoted the report, as saying.

The report also said that specific needs of women and children in terms of health, hygiene and protection were not being addressed.

It also called for community-level programmes to fight acute malnutrition and hygiene for infants and young children in the affected areas.

The report also stressed on security risks in some affected areas, including Balochistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab.

The floods, triggered by torrential rains that started in July, have claimed the lives of at least 1,600 people and affected the lives of over 20 million people. (ANI)