Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in Afghanistan, claiming the lives of around 70 people over the past five days, according to the government’s disaster management department. The country, which experienced an unusually dry winter, saw flash floods caused by spring downpours in most provinces.
Disaster management spokesman Janan Sayeq reported that approximately 70 people lost their lives due to the heavy rains, with 56 others sustaining injuries. More than 2,600 houses have been damaged or destroyed, and 95,000 acres of farmland have been wiped away as a result of the devastating weather conditions.
Neighboring Pakistan has also been affected by the spring downpours, with 65 people losing their lives in storm-related incidents. The United Nations has previously warned about the extreme weather conditions in Afghanistan, attributing them to climate change.
The country, which has been plagued by four decades of war, is ill-prepared to face such extreme weather events. Scientists have noted that these events are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.
This recent tragedy adds to the list of weather-related disasters in Afghanistan, with previous incidents including a landslide in February that claimed 25 lives and a three-week spate of precipitation in March that resulted in around 60 fatalities. The government and international organizations are working to provide aid and support to those affected by the devastating floods.