Pakistan president returns to storm of criticism

His arrival came as thousands fled a major city threatened by swollen rivers, and as the United Nations said the nationwide aid response needed to be scaled up "massively." It is working on a plan that will need hundreds of millions of pounds in initial international assistance.

The Queen has made a personal donation to the British relief effort, Buckingham Palace said. The precise amount given by the monarch has not been disclosed.

But the Pakistani Taliban, allied to al-Qaida and fighting for the overthrow of the Pakistani state, urged the government not to accept any Western aid for flood relief.

The Taliban has attacked Western aid groups in Pakistan and warned them to leave the country, saying they were trying to impose a Western agenda.

The UN said the number affected by flooding over the past two weeks is 13.8 million – more than the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, although the death toll in each of those disasters was much higher than the 1,500 people killed in the floods.

The widespread crisis has overwhelmed the government and frustrated citizens who have complained about slow or non-existent aid efforts. A person is considered "affected" by the floods if he or she will need some form of assistance to recover, either short-term humanitarian aid or longer-term reconstruction help, the UN said.

Amid the relentless rains, Mr Zardari – an unpopular figure to begin with – took off for a visit to France and Britain.

But the timing struck a nerve among many who said he should have stayed with his suffering people – even though the president, fearful of assassination, rarely makes public appearances in Pakistan. The criticism was particularly harsh after reports that he had visited his family's chateau in France.

Mr Zardari returned first to the southern city of Karachi and is

expected back in the capital, Islamabad, today.

He is to meet with the chief ministers of the provinces to map out a rebuilding programme, said Fauzia Wahab, spokeswoman for the ruling Pakistan People's Party.

In Punjab province, the normally bustling city of Muzaffargarh looked largely deserted yesterday after crowds left following flood warnings the previous evening. Many men, however, stayed behind to guard homes and businesses.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has called the crisis the worst natural disaster in Pakistan's history.

The UN estimates that immediate relief will require hundreds of millions of pounds, while longer-term reconstruction and rehabilitation will cost billions.

The north-west is the hardest hit region, which also is the centre of Pakistan's fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban. But the Sindh and Punjab provinces have also been affected as they are downstream of the floodwaters carried by swollen rivers.

Rescue work has been hampered by ongoing monsoon rains, which have washed away roads and bridges.

How to make an appeal donation

To make a donation to the DEC Pakistan appeal call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, log on to the website http://www. dec.org.uk or donate over the counter at any post office or high street bank. Yoiu can also send a cheque made payable to DEC PAKISTAN FLOODS APPEAL to DEC PAKISTAN FLOODS APPEAL, PO BOX 999, LONDON, EC3A 3AA. People can also donate 5 by texting the word GIVE to 70707.