UN warns of landslides in Pak quake zone

The warmer weather in the icy highlands will unleash landslides and floods that will only add to the widespread suffering, UN officials said Friday.

A two-month UN survey of the quake-wracked Kashmir region shows it will take up to five years to restore roads to remote areas and landslides triggered by snow melt could cut off more villages already struggling to survive.

"We know that when spring arrives, it's not the end of the troubles," said Caroline Chaumont, a spokeswoman for the UN World Food Programme, which coordinates aid to many of the 3.5 million people who lost their homes in the Oct. 8 quake.

"The needs and duration of assistance could be greater and longer than originally anticipated, and helicopter operations should be maintained to supply tools, equipment, chemical fertilizer, seed and food," the WFP said in an operational update.

It will take several months after the April thaw to clear main roads for four-wheel-drive vehicles, while smaller roads could take up to five years to repair, it added.