Afghanistan floods kill 50, more remain missing

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 May 2024 11:32

Around 2,000 houses were destroyed while thousands were damaged and major roads remain completely blocked.

Dead bodies of Afghan people are placed on the ground after heavy flooding in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP)

At least 50 people in western Afghanistan have been killed as a result of the flash flooding that has hit the country this week.

In a statement, Ghor police spokesperson Abdul Rahman Badri said, "Fifty residents of Ghor province were killed by the floods on Friday and a number of others are missing," adding that around 2,000 houses were destroyed while thousands were damaged.

He also noted that the floods "killed thousands of cattle... They have destroyed hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, hundreds of bridges and culverts, and destroyed thousands of trees".

Major roads in the area were still "completely blocked".

Over 300 people lost their lives in flash floods that swept through various provinces in Afghanistan, according to the UN's World Food Programme.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency and are working urgently to rescue those injured. Numerous individuals are still unaccounted for following intense rainfall on Friday, which triggered torrents of water and mud to engulf villages and farmland across multiple provinces, creating a significant humanitarian crisis, as characterized by one aid organization.

Over 80% of Afghans rely on agriculture

As rescue workers and aid organizations mobilized, survivors navigated through streets filled with mud and debris and surveyed the damage to buildings on Saturday.

Severe damage was inflicted by torrential rains in the provinces of Baghlan, Takhar, and Badakhshan, as well as in the western Ghor and Herat, according to officials, in a nation marked by poverty and reliant on agriculture.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims, according to his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.

Since mid-April, floods, including flash flooding, have claimed approximately 100 lives across 10 provinces in Afghanistan, as reported by authorities.

The inundation has submerged farmland in a nation where over 80% of the population, exceeding 40 million people, rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Afghanistan, having experienced a relatively dry winter, faces challenges in soil absorption during rainfall, heightening its susceptibility to flooding.