Pakistan accepts India aid, but no real disaster diplomacy

India said on Tuesday that arch-rival Pakistan had accepted its offer of flood aid, but analysts say this piecemeal attempt at disaster diplomacy will not help improve relations between the two sides.

Pakistan's floods, which began over a month ago, have submerged a fifth of the country and left around 6 million people homeless in one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises of recent years.

But despite a shortage of funds hampering Islamabad's ability to provide relief to the millions in need, Pakistan had delayed deciding whether to accept $5 million in aid from New Delhi due to historical tensions between the two neighbours.

"Pakistan has conveyed its deep appreciation of India's offer of assistance," Indian foreign minister SM Krishna told Parliament. "Pakistan requested on August 27 that India may channel its contribution to the flood victims through the UN."

Krishna added that, given the scale of the disaster, India would increase its donation to $25 million from the $5 million it had originally offered.

India and Pakistan have been trying to improve relations, which have worsened after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people and which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants, but mistrust remains.

Divided Kashmir remains at the heart of the dispute between India and Pakistan, with both sides claiming the Himalayan region in full. They have fought two of their three wars over it.

India accuses Pakistan of fuelling unrest in Kashmir, but Islamabad says it only lends moral support to what it calls Kashmir's independence movement, which has killed tens of thousands of people.

The floods have inundated an area the size of Italy and aid workers have struggled to respond to the needs of millions of people who urgently need clean water, food, shelter and medical assistance.

The United Nations says donors have come good on around 63 percent of the $459 million needed in flood relief over the next three months, and so far only a fraction of those who need aid have received it.

Analysts say Pakistani authorities have been concerned about how their acceptance of Indian aid will play out nationally, but add that possible pressure from the United States may have played a role in Islamabad finally accepting the money.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton earlier this month said she hoped Pakistan would accept the aid and show that "despite years of misunderstanding and conflicts and threats ... in the face of a natural disaster of this significance, the people of India and Pakistan can come together".

But analysts say the signals by both sides show neither is serious about using this opportunity to improve relations.

Some experts have criticised New Delhi for delaying its offer of aid, which came almost two weeks after the floods, and for publicly announcing its gesture rather than donating through the United Nations, a more modest approach.

Others have criticised Islamabad for dithering.

"I think the churlishness with which the aid has been accepted - it wasn't accepted for weeks and then Pakistan won't accept directly but only through the UN - has undermined any possible diplomatic advantages," said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi.

"It shows the whole kind of scoring of points that is typical of Indo-Pak relations."