Floods in northern Afghanistan have left more than 300 people dead and massive property losses, as these natural disasters have devastatingly struck Baghlan province. Heavy rains caused landslides, causing major destruction to villages and farms.
About 311 people were killed in flash floods that struck Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan , according to a new provisional toll reported by the World Food Program to Agence France-Presse. The International Organization for Migration had previously reported that more than 200 people were killed in these catastrophic floods that occurred yesterday, Friday (May 10, 2024).
He added that the massive destruction led to “huge financial losses,” and the most affected provinces were Badakhshan, Baghlan, Ghor, and Herat.
He stressed that the Taliban government ordered the mobilization of all available resources to rescue people, transport the injured, and recover the bodies of flood victims.
The Afghan Air Force also evacuated people in Baghlan province and rescued a large number of people stranded in areas flooded with water, according to the Taliban Ministry of Defense, which also confirmed that about 100 wounded were transferred to military hospitals in the area.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said in a post on the X platform that the floods are a stark reminder of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the climate crisis, and that immediate aid and long-term planning by the Taliban and international actors are needed.
Last April, heavy rains and flash floods claimed the lives of at least 70 people. About 2,000 homes, three mosques, and four schools were also damaged, according to figures from the responsible authorities.
Flash floods that hit northern Afghanistan killed hundreds in Baghlan province, according to what the United Nations said on Saturday, while the authorities declared a state of emergency and sent rescue teams to treat the wounded.
Heavy rains yesterday, Friday, led to the overflow of rivers and mud torrents in villages and agricultural lands in several states, the most affected were the northern areas of Baghlan. About 1,500 homes were also damaged or destroyed, according to IOM Response Operations Director Muhammad Fahim Safi, based on government figures.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on the “X” platform on Saturday, “Hundreds of our citizens died in these catastrophic floods.”
Floods in ten states
This year’s floods, which come in light of above-normal rains in the spring , affected other regions in this country that are highly vulnerable to climate change, especially Ghor (west) and Badakhshan (northeast), causing major financial losses.
Video clips posted on social media showed heavy mud torrents that flooded the roads, in addition to bodies wrapped in shrouds. Children could be heard crying in one of these clips, while men stood looking at the floodwaters.
Since mid-April, floods have killed about 100 people in ten states in the country, and no region has been spared, according to the authorities. Water also submerged vast agricultural areas in a country where 80 percent of the population of more than 40 million people depend on this sector to provide their livelihood.
Meteorologists have warned that severe weather phenomena such as floods and drought are becoming more frequent in Afghanistan and Pakistan due to climate change.
