'Dragon' calls for more aid for Pakistan

Dragons' Den star James Caan has called on Britain to provide more aid for victims of Pakistan's devastating floods.

He said the UK had done "better than most" but warned the funding provided was still only a fraction of the billions needed to provide life-saving aid for the 20 million people affected by the disaster.

Speaking before setting off to visit some of the flood-ravaged areas, the Pakistan-born entrepreneur said it was "beyond him" why the international community had failed to raise all the money required for vital food, shelter and medical supplies.

He joins a number of politicians and charity leaders who have criticised the poor global response to appeals for help for the victims.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg condemned the level of donations as "absolutely pitiful" and Oxfam said European countries' contributions were "feeble".

Mr Caan, who is chairman of the British Pakistan Foundation, said he wanted to find out first-hand why humanitarian relief is not reaching all the people who need it.

The businessman said it was one of the biggest human tragedies ever seen, with the floods affecting the equivalent of a third of the UK's population across an area the size of Britain.

He warned the crisis was a "time bomb" waiting to go off, with Pakistan's government struggling to respond to the disaster and the Taliban eager to exploit vulnerable victims.