The rains followed an uncharacteristically late winter and cold wave and have significantly impacted lives and livelihoods – particularly the agriculture and livestock sectors.
Relentless torrents of flood water from heavy rain wreaked havoc across Afghanistan over the past fortnight, the latest being central Afghanistan’s Ghor province late last week that killed over 300 and impacted 2,500 families, according to the World Food Programme.
Besides, over 2,000 houses were destroyed and another 2,000 shops were submerged in the province’s capital, Feroz-Koh, according to the Taliban spokesperson for the region.
This happened as the country continues to reel under floods from unseasonal summer rains that have destroyed homes and damaged farmland.
The rains followed an uncharacteristically late winter and cold wave and have significantly impacted lives and livelihoods – particularly the agriculture and livestock sectors.
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett tweeted on X, “Harrowing images of flood’s human toll and destruction in Afghanistan. Beyond search and rescue, ongoing support (is) needed to restore lives and livelihoods. He urged donors to provide more funds for humanitarian support.
Also Read: Over 300 Dead as Floods Batter Afghanistan
The BBC’s Pakistan correspondent Caroline Davies had tweeted: “Debris rubble and tree roots is all that remains in some parts of the villages in hit by flash flooding late last week.”
According to the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), 25 out of 34 provinces have been affected. Thousands of displaced people have no homes to return to after their houses were swept away.
“The level of suffering in Afghanistan is already beyond words. Our emergency response will focus on life-saving essential needs, while also gearing to support affected households in early recovery as well as equipping first responders to cope better with rapid onset disasters in the future”, said Necephor Mghendi, Head of the IFRC Country Delegation.
WFP took to X (formerly Twitter) to showcase its work in the area of risk reduction in communities that were spared of the losses in the face of the torrential rains.
“In Nangarhar and Baghlan, WFP protection walls saved over 870 families and 670 acres of land from being swept away by relentless torrents,” WFP said in a video over X.
According to the United Nations, Afghanistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate-induced disasters.
