Afghanistan devastated by flash floods: Death toll exceeds 300
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Survivors continue to navigate through debris-strewn streets and damaged structures while rescue teams are deployed, with concerns raised about inaccessible areas due to flooding.
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The bodies of Afghans killed in the floods are placed on the ground in Baghlan province, northern Afghanistan, on Saturday. (AP)
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.
As rescue workers and aid organizations mobilized, survivors navigated through streets filled with mud and debris and surveyed the damage to buildings on Saturday. Concerns were raised about areas isolated by the flooding. Particularly impacted was the northern Baghlan province, where over 300 fatalities were reported, and thousands of homes were either destroyed or damaged, as stated by the World Food Programme.
#Breaking
— Mustafa BaÄŸ (@mustafa__bag) May 11, 2024
Afghanistan needs urgent help. NOW!!!!
This is extraordinary situation. The international community MUST urgently mobilise and provide immediate assistance to those affected by the floods. #Baghlan #floods #Afghanistan
pic.twitter.com/Kohu1DEr7w
“On current information: in Baghlan province, there are 311 fatalities, 2,011 houses destroyed, and 2,800 houses damaged,” said Rana Deraz, a communications officer for the UN agency in Afghanistan.
Discrepancies emerged in the reported death tolls between government sources and humanitarian agencies.
Government tally to increase
The UN’s International Organisation for Migration reported 218 fatalities in Baghlan, while Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesperson for the interior ministry, stated to AFP that 131 individuals had been confirmed dead in Baghlan. However, he noted that the government's tally might increase.
“Many people are still missing,” he said.
Additionally, another 20 fatalities were reported in the northern Takhar province, with two more deaths recorded in the adjacent Badakhshan region, he further noted.
He added: “The deluge has wrought extensive devastation upon residential properties, resulting in significant financial losses.”
Breaking 🚨 Afghanistan🇦🇫
— I$lami© T€rrorist (@raviagrawal3) May 11, 2024
More than 800 people died due to severe flood and storm in Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/7c4jJUnfo8
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.
Dujarric also mentioned that the UN is collaborating with local authorities to offer assistance.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) was gearing up for swift action in response to the floods, emphasizing that these events should serve as a wake-up call for world leaders and donors to remember a nation afflicted by years of conflict and recurring natural disasters.
The big picture
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.
With its prolonged history of conflict spanning four decades, Afghanistan ranks among the world's poorest countries and is notably ill-equipped to confront the impacts of climate change.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, has lately highlighted on X that the floods serve as a clear indication of the country's vulnerability to the climate crisis.
Recent floods in #Afghanistan including #Baghlan which claimed many lives, are a stark reminder of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the #climatecrisis & both immediate aid and long term planning by the #Taliban & internat actors are needed. Condolences to the families of vicitims.
— UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett (@SR_Afghanistan) May 11, 2024
“Both immediate aid and long-term planning by the Taliban and international actors are needed,” he added.
Read more: When nature 'strikes back', the world floods
