Bangladesh is suffering its worst flooding in six years

Millions of people are expected to be dependent on food aid there for the next five months.

The UN representative in Dhaka, Jorgen Lissner, described the current situation as a quiet disaster.

Last month, Bangladesh experienced its worst floods in six years which left 600 people dead.

Flood waters have covered 60% of a nation of 140 million people, leaving nearly 30 million people homeless or stranded.

Speaking ahead of a UN meeting in Geneva to review the appeal for aid in Bangladesh, Mr Lissner said people, especially the poor, were in desperate need of help.

The post-flood situation is extremely dangerous for the very poor because they have no income, no shelter, no assets and are vulnerable to disease Jorgen Lissner Coutts UN representative in Dhaka Flood worker's diary

He said the UN was worried that donors were no longer contributing aid because the dramatic television pictures had stopped and because their focus had shifted to the Darfur crisis.

"Please do not forget Bangladesh and don't get distracted by other incidents in Bangladesh.

"The post-flood situation is extremely dangerous for the very poor because they have no income, no shelter, no assets and are vulnerable to disease," Mr Lissner said.

Big losses

More than 100,000 people were affected by water-borne diseases in the aftermath of the floods.

Houses are still being rebuilt and roads and railway lines washed out by the floods had to be restored.

The government estimates the water has caused $7bn worth of damage.