Flash floods triggered by heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan have left a trail of devastation, with more than 300 people dead and over 1,000 houses destroyed, according to the U.N. food agency.
The World Food Program has been providing fortified biscuits to survivors in the northern province of Baghlan, which was hit hardest by the floods. In neighboring Takhar province, at least 20 people lost their lives in the deluge.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, took to social media to express the extent of the damage, citing provinces like Badakhshan, Ghor, and Herat as the worst affected. He emphasized the significant financial losses incurred due to the floods.
Efforts are underway to rescue people, transport the injured, and recover the deceased. The Taliban Defense Ministry announced that the country’s air force has been evacuating people in Baghlan and providing medical assistance to those in need.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, highlighted the urgent need for both immediate aid and long-term planning to address the country’s vulnerability to such climate-related disasters.
Videos circulating on social media showed the heartbreaking scenes of families searching for their loved ones in the aftermath of the floods. The official response has been swift, but the scale of the destruction underscores the challenges faced by Afghanistan in the face of natural disasters.