ANKARA

Pope Francis Sunday called for international cooperation to help Pakistan which is battered by heavy monsoon rains and massive floods.

"I pray for the numerous victims, for the wounded and those forced from their homes, and that international solidarity might be prompt and generous," the pontiff said in a statement issued by the Vatican press office.

He added: "In this place that suffered a harsh calamity, I want to assure the people of Pakistan, hit by floods of disastrous proportions, of my nearness."

Pakistan reached over 1,000 deaths in rain-related incidents, which have been triggered by torrential rains and swirling floods across the country since mid-June.

Constant rains and raging floods have already destroyed a large chunk of infrastructure and agricultural lands across the country, including tens of thousands of houses, roads, and bridges, and washed away nearly a million animals.