Reports from provincial police in western Afghanistan indicate that flash flooding has tragically resulted in the loss of at least 50 lives. Some individuals managed to find safety on higher ground just moments before the flooding occurred.
The floods, which took place on Friday, destroyed approximately 2,000 homes and caused damage to thousands more residences and businesses, according to a statement from Ghor police spokesman Abdul Rahman Badri.
This recent wave of flooding in the region comes after a prior incident of flash floods on May 10 in Baghlan province, located in the northern part of the country. Survivors of the previous flooding are still in the process of searching for missing relatives days after the tragic event.
Abdul Rahman Badri remarked, “Fifty residents of Ghor province were killed by the floods on Friday and a number of others are missing.”
Wildlife, agricultural lands, bridges, and culverts have also suffered significant damage due to the flooding.
A resident of Ghor shared his experience of escaping floodwaters by alert through aerial firing and urgent warnings broadcasted over mosque loudspeakers. Within minutes of their escape, the flooding struck and obliterated his home.
In response to the emergency situation, Obaidullah Muradian, the head of the province’s disaster management department, highlighted the urgent need for shelter, food, and water for the affected victims.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and Taliban officials have reported a death toll of over 300 individuals due to the previous flooding incident earlier this month. The continuous rainfall in the region has exacerbated the flooding situation, leaving many homes and roads covered in mud.
Experts have pointed out that Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to flooding. The country has witnessed devastating flash floods in multiple provinces, resulting in numerous casualties and significant destruction of farmland.
The recent floods have worsened the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, a nation already struggling with poverty and the impacts of climate change.
