PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan dispatched medical teams today to the deluged northwest amid fears cholera could spread after the worst floods in the country's history that have already killed up to 1,200 people, an official said.

The disaster has forced 2 million to flee their homes. Residents have railed against the government for failing to provide enough emergency assistance nearly a week after extremely heavy monsoon rains triggered raging floodwaters.

The government said it has deployed thousands of rescue workers who have so far saved an estimated 28,000 people and distributed basic food items. The army also has sent some 30,000 troops and dozens of helicopters, but the scale of the disaster is so vast many residents said it seems like officials are doing nothing. Thousands more people in the province remain trapped by the floodwaters.

The anger of the flood victims poses a danger to the already struggling government, now competing with Islamist movements to deliver aid in a region with strong Taliban influence.