The UN’s World Food Programme reported that over 300 individuals lost their lives in sudden floods that swept across various provinces in Afghanistan, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and quickly aid the injured.
Several provinces experienced a “major humanitarian emergency” as roaring rivers of water and mud swept through villages and farmland due to heavy rains on Friday, leaving many individuals unaccounted for.
Survivors searched through muddy streets filled with debris and damaged buildings on Saturday while authorities and non-governmental organizations sent out rescue workers and aid, cautioning that flooding had isolated certain areas.
In Northern Baghlan province, over 300 individuals lost their lives and thousands of homes were either destroyed or damaged, as reported by the World Food Programme.
“In Baghlan province, according to recent data, there have been 311 deaths, 2,011 homes destroyed, and 2,800 homes damaged,” noted Rana Deraz, a communication officer with the UN in Afghanistan.
The government’s death tolls did not match those reported by humanitarian agencies.
On Saturday, the International Organisation for Migration within the United Nations reported that Baghlan had experienced 218 fatalities. Abdul Mateen Qani, who is the spokesman for the interior ministry, informed Agence France-Presse that 131 individuals lost their lives in Baghlan, with the possibility of the government toll increasing.
He stated that numerous individuals are still unaccounted for.
He added that an additional 20 individuals lost their lives in the northern province of Takhar, with two more fatalities in the nearby Badakhshan province.
Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced on Twitter/X: “Many of our countrymen have lost their lives due to these disastrous floods.”
He further stated that the flood caused widespread destruction to homes, leading to considerable financial damages.
Officials reported that torrential downpours resulted in significant destruction in Baghlan, Takhar, and Badakhshan, as well as western Ghor and Herat provinces, in a nation plagued by poverty and relying heavily on agriculture.
Jan Mohammad Din Mohammad, who lives in Pul-e-Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province, expressed that the flood took away both his house and his entire life.
After seeking refuge on higher ground, his family came back home once the weather had cleared, only to find that everything had been destroyed – all his possessions and his house were gone, he mentioned.
“I’m unsure of where to bring my family… I’m unsure of what activities to plan.”
Emergency responders were hurrying to assist wounded and trapped Afghans. The air force began evacuation missions when the skies cleared on Saturday, stating that over 100 injured individuals were taken to the hospital.
It was stated that the ministry of national defence has begun distributing food, medicine, and first aid to the affected people in the announced state of emergency areas.
A truck filled with food and water was spotted in Baghlan’s Baghlan-i-Markazi district, along with other vehicles transporting the deceased for burial.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, shows support for Afghanistan and offers condolences to victims’ families, according to his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, who mentioned the UN’s collaboration with local authorities in providing aid.
The IRC has been getting ready for a quick response, emphasizing that the floods should serve as a warning for world leaders and donors to not overlook a country that has been through years of conflict and faced with natural disasters.
“These recent floods have resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which is already dealing with multiple earthquakes this year and severe flooding in March, according to IRC country director Salma Ben Aissa.”
Authorities reported that approximately 100 individuals had perished in flash flooding and other floods across 10 provinces in Afghanistan since mid-April.
Farmland in a nation where over 40 million people, 80% of the population, rely on agriculture to stay alive, has been flooded.
Afghanistan, with a dry winter, is at high risk of climate change due to the challenges in rain absorption by the soil.
According to scientists, the country, which has been devastated by forty years of conflict, is among the most impoverished in the world and ill-equipped to handle the impacts of climate change.
The floods served as a clear indication of Afghanistan’s susceptibility to the climate crisis, as stated by Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, on Twitter/X. provision of immediate assistance and long-term strategies by the Taliban and international actors.
