Bangkok residents paddle a makeshift boat through floodwaters on Sunday, October 30. Thai officials warned residents in the capital to be vigilant and expect disruptions with electricity and tap water as Thailand battles its worst flooding in decades.
(CNN) -- Worries about high tides overwhelming parts of Thailand in recent days have morphed into fears about water- and insect-borne diseases in the flood-ravaged country.
Bangkok's central business district has avoided major flooding so far, but outlying areas are chest- or waist-deep in water.
"The water in those parts is a filthy black color containing sewage, garbage and dead animals with a nasty smell. Mosquitoes are also breeding rapidly," said Igor Prahin of Bangkok.
More than 370 people have died since the flooding began after heavy monsoon rains.
U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Kristie A. Kenney said Monday that "the worst may be over for central Bangkok," but about 2 million people are still affected by the flooding. The United States has pledged a total of $1.1 million in aid.
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Charities working in the country have warned of diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever and malaria in the coming days and weeks.
"There are places on the outskirts of Bangkok and in other parts of the country which have been flooded for nearly two weeks," said Matthew Cochrane of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
"The country's prime minister has said that the city has 'dodged a bullet' -- the economic impact of central Bangkok being flooded would have been huge, and thankfully that did not happen -- but a huge part of the country is still under water," Cochrane said.
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"Outside the city it is certainly a humanitarian crisis, because there are people who have been cut off for weeks without any aid, supplies or food."
UNICEF said it was providing 20,000 mosquito nets and handing out 20,000 pamphlets explaining how to stay safe and healthy in flood-stricken regions.
Supatra (Jenstitvong) Assavasuke, who lives east of central Bangkok, took in two friends whose house on the west side of the city is submerged under 1 to 2 meters (3 to 7 feet) of water. It's unclear how long they will need to stay.
She and her family have helped donate about 3,000 liters (almost 800 gallons) of drinking water to those in worse-off areas.
"Those who got affected, they lose their houses, they lose their jobs, their cars -- many things," she said.
But even those in the capital faced possible shortages of water.
The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority said it had reduced the amount of tap water processed for residents from 900,000 to 400,000 cubic meters per day, because of high algae counts at one of its plants.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said authorities would speed up the process of draining water into Bangkok's canals and into the sea, raising hopes that water levels in the city could start to sink. However, the government has warned it may take more than a month for the floods to recede.
Already, the flooding has caused an estimated $6 billion in damages, the Thai Finance Ministry has said.
The Thai government has set up more than 1,700 shelters across the country, where more than 113,000 people have taken refuge.
Yet many are trying to push through with their daily routines.
In Bangkok's Chinatown area, a food vendor up to her knees in murky water continued to serve patrons at her small cart.
One resident traveled down a street by row boat as a nearby bicyclist pedaled through thigh-deep flooding.
And a man walked his dog near Bangkok's Grand Palace, the dog chest-deep in water.
CNN's Bryony Jones, Kocha Olarn and Germain Perez contributed to this report.
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People commute along a flooded street near the Chao Phraya River on Sunday in Bangkok.
A Bangkok resident makes his way through a flooded street on Sunday.
People travel on a truck along a flooded street on Sunday in Bangkok.
Residents commute along a flooded street on Sunday.
Thai residents wade through waist-high waters in Bangkok on Friday, October 28, after heavy floods swept through the area. Hundreds of people have died from flood-related incidents since July.
A Thai police officer directs traffic as cars pass through flooded streets on Friday. Residents have begun leaving Bangkok to escape the rising waters.
People paddle and walk through a flooded neighborhood near the Chao Praya River.
Residents evacuating their neighborhoods get off a rescue boat near the Chao Praya River.
Thai residents walk in floodwaters along a street in the Chinatown section of Bangkok.
People travel through floodwaters on a boat as they evacuate their neighbourhood next to the Chao Praya river in Bangkok..
Residents wait for a rescue boat as they evacuate their neighborhood next to the Chao Praya River in Bangkok on Friday.
A man smokes a cigarette outside his home as floodwaters rise in Bangkok on Wednesday, October 26. The government has called the flooding the worst to afflict the nation in half a century.
People walk through a flooded street in Bangkok's Chinatown on Wednesday. Thailand derives a significant portion of its revenue from tourism, which has been diminished by the flooding.
A man pulls a makeshift raft through a flooded street in Bangkok on Wednesday. Floodwaters extend from Rangsit, north of Bangkok, to the Don Muang airport and Yingcharoen Market.
A woman sits with her daughter in the window of their flooded condo. Residents have been urged to flee the rising waters.
A man lies on a couch Wednesday in his flooded Bangkok home. Gov. Sukhumbhand Paripatra says that despite the risk, it is difficult to persuade people to leave their homes.
Women stand in a flooded residential area in Bangkok's Chinatown. Overall damage from the floods could top $6 billion, the Thai Finance Ministry said.
Evacuated residents stand among tents in a shelter set up for flood victims at Don Muang airport. Floodwaters forced the airport to close, and it now serves as a base of flood relief operations.
A man holds his dog and stands by his belongings at the Don Muang airport. He's waiting to be transferred to a new evacuation center.
A girl tries to catch fish in floodwaters outside her house Wednesday.
Children play in flooded streets in Bangkok. It might take more than a month for the waters to recede in some areas, officials say.
Bangkok residents watch television in a flooded beauty salon on Wednesday.
Buddhist monks walk toward a pier along the Chao Phraya River, which winds through the capital.
Workers construct a sandbag wall Wednesday along the Chao Praya River, anticipating that it would overtop its embankments over the weekend.
An elderly woman in Bangkok is helped onto a truck to be taken to a hospital. The flooding has affected more than 9.5 million people, authorities said.
Chinatown residents make their way through a flooded street on Wednesday. The water has caused problems for small vehicles and led to traffic congestion.
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