ISLAMABAD (AP/DPA/AFP) - Pakistan has declared a state of emergency and is calling for international aid after floods that have continued for months due to record levels of rainfall. Nearly a thousand people have already died. It is a catastrophe of epic proportions, said the climate change minister.

The flood caused by erratic monsoon rains has displaced millions of people, especially in the impoverished south and southwest of the country. And more rain is expected in some regions, where many people in inaccessible areas are already waiting for help.

Swollen rivers destroy houses, bridges and roads. The government called in the military to help. Earlier this year, Pakistan was still struggling with a severe drought and a heat wave with temperatures of up to 51 degrees.