PLANES carrying fresh supplies are surging across a humanitarian air bridge to flood-ravaged Pakistan as the death toll surged past 1,200, officials said today, with families and children at special risk of disease and homelessness.

The ninth flight from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the first from Uzbekistan were the latest to land in Islamabad overnight, as a military-backed rescue operation elsewhere in the country reached more of the three million people affected by the disaster.

Two more planes from UAE and Qatar with aid were due to arrive in Pakistan later today, and a Turkish train carrying relief goods for flood victims was on its way to the impoverished nation, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Multiple officials blamed the unusual monsoon and flooding on climate change, including UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who earlier this week called on the world to stop “sleepwalking” through the deadly crisis.

Mr Guterres will visit Pakistan on September 9 to tour flood-hit areas and meet officials.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar said at a news briefing on Thursday: “This [climate change] is not a conspiracy, this is a reality and we need to be mindful,” he said.

In a statement today, the UN refugee agency said although the outcome of Tuesday’s funding appeal from the UN was “very encouraging,” more help is needed.

UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh said they were quickly releasing tents, as well as blankets, plastic sheets, buckets and other household items for flood victims.

“Our staff in the country report that the scale of the devastation that people face is unimaginable,” he said.