Flash floods have claimed the lives of over 120 individuals in Afghanistan and Pakistan, wreaking havoc on homes, infrastructure, and agricultural lands since last Friday, as per official reports.
While both nations reel from the devastating losses, Afghanistan faces an especially dire situation. Cut off from substantial international aid since the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021, following decades of conflict with a US-led coalition and a Western-backed government, the country finds itself grappling with severe repercussions.
Janan Sayeq, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Taliban-led Disaster Management Authority, conveyed, “Our assessments indicate approximately 70 fatalities and 56 injuries due to heavy rains and floods spanning 23 provinces.” Alternative estimates peg the death toll at around 88 individuals.
Furthermore, the calamity has left 2,627 houses, 3 mosques, and 4 schools partially or wholly damaged. Struggling with a prolonged humanitarian crisis compounded by enduring drought, affected families are in urgent need of assistance.
“In collaboration with humanitarian organizations, we are striving to offer aid to flood-affected individuals, addressing their critical needs such as sustenance, shelter, and rehabilitation of agricultural lands,” remarked Mr. Sayeq.
The catastrophe exacerbates Afghanistan’s existing agricultural challenges, with Sardar Agha, a farmer from Laghman province, lamenting, “It’s the peak season for vegetables, and our wheat harvest is imminent. Persistent rainfall threatens to decimate most crops, leading to significant losses for farmers.”
According to the country’s disaster management authority, over 19,000 hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed, accompanied by the loss of more than 2,000 livestock since the onset of the floods. This further compounds food insecurity in a nation where over half the population already relies on humanitarian aid, as per UN estimates.
Afghanistan’s aviation ministry issued a cautionary statement on Thursday, highlighting the potential for additional heavy rainfall and floods across 29 of the country’s 34 provinces in the next two days.
Owing to its mountainous terrain, sparse vegetation cover in many regions, and inadequate infrastructure, Afghanistan remains highly vulnerable to flooding. Numerous remote communities lack proper access to roads and face the threat of landslides.
With international funding dwindling after the Taliban’s resurgence, Afghanistan’s preparedness and response capacity have been severely compromised. Haji Gul, a 54-year-old from Uruzgan province, expressed, “We’ve encountered countless challenges in our lives. The recent floods have rendered us homeless and cost us our livestock. Without government support, we cannot rebuild our homes. Our children’s lives hang in the balance without prompt assistance.”
Experts underscore that current flood prevention measures are insufficient to mitigate the increasingly dire situation, particularly in the face of escalating climate change impacts, including heightened rainfall frequency and intensity.
“Afghanistan lacks the necessary infrastructure to manage rainwater and prevent floods,” observed Noorudin Jalali, an environmentalist based in Kabul. “Many rural residents reside in vulnerable areas near rivers and streams, lacking access to timely flood information. Consequently, damages are inevitable.”
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