Alif Kacha: A woman in a village swallowed up by Pakistan's floods held her unconscious child after it was bitten by a poisonous snake.

"Speak to mama. Save my child. Wake her up," said the weeping woman, one of the few happy to see navy rescue boats arrive.

After a boat rushed off with the child across tens of miles of flood waters, soldiers struggled to convince villagers to leave, a problem they have faced across the flood-hit country.

"You must leave with us. More water will come. This is your last chance," one of the soldiers, Hakimullah, urged villagers.

But like many other victims of the latest flooding, the people of Alif Kacha are living in a state of denial.

The village is in the southern province of Sindh. Floods first struck in the north of the country and roared down the Indus River basis towards the Arabian sea. Water is ebbing in the north although villages there live in fear of more rain.

Some in Alif Kacha hoped the waters would somehow recede and they could go back to ploughing fields submerged under muddy water. Others believed they could still salvage their homes even though they were surrounded by 2.5 metres of water.

Snakes

The raging waters pushed snakes like the one that bit the child up into houses. The longer people stay put in affected areas, the greater the risk of water-borne diseases.

Allah Dino was willing to risk his life to save his livestock, the only source of income for many farmers. "This buffalo is worth 100,000 rupees (Dh4,275). It's my life's saving," he said.

The Pakistani military has led relief efforts while the government has come under harsh criticism for its perceived failure to help millions of people suffering in the catastrophe.

Persuading stranded people to agree to leave their villages is one of the biggest challenges for authorities, who have limited resources and must act quickly in case fresh rains cause more devastation.

"We will only send our women," said cattle breeder Murad Baksh. "I will only leave if the water climbs above my head."

Some of the villagers agreed to leave.

Some carried their meagre belongings on their heads and managed to get their chickens and goats on the boats.

Quick response

Pakistani Islamists have been quick to step in to help after this month's devastating floods, winning hearts and minds as frustration with the US-backed government grows.

The worst floods in 80 years have killed more than 1,600 people and left two million homeless along a broad swathe of the Indus river basin, from the north of the country to the south.

The army was quick to respond with rescue efforts, saving many lives as the torrent struck. The government, overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, has been blasted as ineffective. But as the authorities and international aid agencies marshal supplies and staff, it is often nimble Islamist charity workers who are first to arrive to help people pick up their lives as the worst of the surge begins to ebb.

They may not bring huge resources to bear but they establish a presence.