Disease risks are high as the waters recede

The United Nations children's fund says millions face a serious risk of disease as flood waters start to recede.

A separate international UN appeal will be launched next week after a donors' meeting on Wednesday.

The monsoon floods have killed more than 500 people and tens of millions are still homeless.

APB Senagama, officer-in-charge of Unicef in Bangladesh, said: "Bangladeshi children living on the margins urgently need attention to save them from the worst ravages of flooding.

"It is important to provide them with safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, nutritious food and life-saving medicine."

Boat plan

The BBC's Waliur Rahman in Dhaka says latest estimates show nearly 30m people have been affected by the floods.

We... must move swiftly to provide relief and hope to the most vulnerable children APB Senagama, Unicef

The government has opened thousands of shelters for people who lost their homes.

The UN says its agencies in Dhaka will distribute relief supplies soon with �10m in funding from the UK's department for international development.

It also says private aid agencies will use boats and trucks to reach the worst-affected people.

The Bangladesh government has refused to seek international help for immediate relief operations but plans to launch an international appeal for post-flood rehabilitation of infrastructure and longer-term relief needs.

The UN said it would hold a donors' meeting on Wednesday to tackle immediate relief and launch an appeal next week in line with the government's needs for post-flood assistance.

Flood waters are now receding after inundating around two-thirds of the country.