( CNN ) -- President Obama issued a presidential order on Friday authorizing emergency funds to Pakistan 's flood victims , the White House announced Friday . The president said the use of the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund was in the United States ' interest . Up to $ 33 million can go toward the country 's crisis . Pakistani disaster officials said Wednesday that recent floods have killed about 1,677 people and 17 million have been affected nationwide . The United Nations , meanwhile , warned that a crisis is building in the eastern province of Balochistan , where nearly 2 million people are affected . Mengeshe Kebede , the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ' representative to Pakistan , said there is a `` humanitarian tragedy '' taking place in Balochistan , with imminent threats of water-borne diseases and food shortages . `` We need to scale up our activities in the province , or else I think we are heading for a major humanitarian disaster there , '' Kebede said . `` I have worked in humanitarian situations globally , and worked in refugee camps in Africa during emergencies , but to be honest I had never seen a situation as devastating as I saw in Balochistan , '' he said .
Obama approves urgent relief funds for Pakistan 's flood victims . Nearly 1,700 people have died in disaster . Humanitarian work continues in Punjab province .