Updated on Sunday, August 05, 2007, 00:00 IST

New Delhi, Aug 05: The current floods in India, especially Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states, and in neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh that have displaced millions from their homes, are the 'worst flooding in living memory', the UN said Sunday.

'Some 20 million people are believed to be affected in all three countries in what is being described as the worst flooding in living memory,' said UNICEF in its official release put on its website.

More than 250 people have died over the past 11 days after torrential monsoon rains lashed northern India - especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states -Bangladesh and Nepal.

'Unknown numbers of people are either stranded or have been displaced and lack any form of shelter. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes, possessions, livestock and fields and will have to begin their lives from scratch when flood waters recede,' the aid agency said.

'Access to the worst affected areas is a major concern as vast swathes of land are completely submerged and rising waters continue cutting off more villages and communities,' it added.

Flood waters started receding in some areas of Uttar Pradesh Sunday where over flowing rivers have claimed 125 lives so far and driven two million people from their homes.

In Bihar, about 10.8 million people of the state's 82 million, have been affected in nearly 5,000 villages across 18 of the 38 districts in what officials say has been the worst flooding in three decades.

In Bangladesh at least 120 people have been killed and eight million others affected as floods inundated over half of Bangladesh with the government struggling to deal with the situation which appeared to be worsening.

According to UNICEF, landslides have been reported in the highlands of Nepal, posing an additional threat for communities already suffering from the deluge.

The agency has expressed its concern over the 'unprecedented challenge' posed by the massive flooding to the 'delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance' by governments and the aid community at large across the region.

Bureau Report