Flash Floods Devastate Afghanistan: Hundreds Dead
Afghanistan has been hit by devastating flash floods this spring, particularly in the western Ghor province. These floods have claimed hundreds of lives, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and left survivors desperate for food, water, and shelter. The UN warns that the floods have worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis in the country.
CONTENTS: Flash Floods Devastate Afghanistan
Flash Floods Devastate Afghanistan
In western Afghanistan, flash flooding has resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people, according to provincial police on Saturday. Some residents managed to reach higher ground just minutes before the floodwaters arrived.
The floods, which occurred on Friday, destroyed approximately 2,000 houses and caused extensive damage to thousands more homes and businesses, according to Ghor police spokesman Abdul Rahman Badri.
This recent flooding follows a period of above-average rainfall this spring. Just earlier this month, on May 10, northern Baghlan province experienced similar flash floods, which swept away hundreds of people. Survivors in Baghlan were still searching for missing family members several days after that disaster.
Floods Ravage Ghor Province
“Fifty residents of Ghor province were killed by the floods on Friday, with several others reported missing,” stated Abdul Rahman Badri. The floods resulted in the destruction of 2,000 houses and extensive damage to thousands of businesses.
“These devastating floods have also claimed the lives of thousands of cattle and destroyed hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, numerous bridges and culverts, and thousands of trees.”
A resident of Firozkoh district in Ghor, Zahir Zahid, recounted how he and his family fled to higher ground after hearing aerial firing and urgent warnings broadcast over mosque loudspeakers about the approaching flash floods.
“Just five minutes after our escape, a massive and terrifying flash flood came and swept everything away. I watched as the flood destroyed my house before my eyes,” Zahid told AFP by phone.
Desperation in Flood-Hit Ghor
“Women and children, everyone was crying,” Zahir Zahid said.
“In our area, around a hundred houses were washed away by the flood; nothing is left, the flood took everything.”
Ghor resident Sherzai also lost everything in the deluge. “We thought it would be like the floods in the past, not major, but this one was very strong,” he said. “It took away everything in our house; nothing is left.”
Obaidullah Muradian, head of the province’s disaster management department, described it as an “emergency situation.”
The floods affected several districts in the province, including the capital Chaghcharan, where the streets “are full of mud,” he said. He emphasized that victims needed shelter, food, and water.
“The situation is really concerning,” Muradian added.
Afghanistan Floods Worsen Crisis
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and Taliban officials reported that the flood disaster earlier this month resulted in over 300 deaths.
The destruction of roads and bridges hindered rescue efforts, with UN agencies and Taliban authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Afghanistan, described as “exceptionally vulnerable to flooding,” has experienced above-average rainfall this spring, according to Mohammad Assem Mayar, a water resource management expert, in a recent report by the Afghanistan Analysts Network.
The WFP warned that the recent floods have worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, stated on social media platform X that support beyond emergency response is necessary to help survivors rebuild their lives.
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