Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has appealed to the United Nations and the international community to provide humanitarian and rehabilitation aid for millions of people affected by recent flooding in his country.

The Foreign Office said the president made the appeal on Thursday, noting that some five million people have been displaced and directly affected by floods in recent months.

The government says some four million acres of land are currently under water following heavy monsoon rains.

Pakistan's Foreign Office says the country is in urgent need of tents, water purification equipment, food, medicine and flood pumps.

The government estimates that damage caused by this season's rains could run into billions of dollars.

Pakistan is still recovering from last year's devastating floods that killed more than 1,700 people and affected nearly 20 million others. Aid agencies say tens of thousands of families made homeless by last year's floods are still without proper housing.