Afghanistan has been devastated by severe flash floods triggered by torrential rains, resulting in the deaths of over 300 people, as reported by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). The death toll, which continues to rise rapidly, was confirmed after initial reports from the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior Affairs indicated about 150 fatalities earlier on the same day. Additionally, 138 individuals have been reported injured across three provinces, according to Reuters.
The province of Baghlan has been identified as the most affected, with over 1,000 homes destroyed. In response to the crisis, the WFP is distributing fortified biscuits to flood survivors, who have been severely impacted over several weeks of flooding. The situation worsened on Friday when heavy rainfall led to more floods across various regions of the country.
Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described the floods as calamitous on social media, noting that hundreds have died and many more have been injured, with significant financial damage across multiple provinces, including Badakhshan, Ghor, and Herat.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) disclosed to AFP that in Baghlan alone, over 200 people were killed and thousands of homes were either destroyed or damaged. The Taliban Ministry of Defense has initiated evacuations, moving over 100 injured individuals to military hospitals and distributing emergency supplies like food and medicine in the declared state of emergency areas.
Local officials, such as Hedayatullah Hamdard from Baghlan’s natural disaster management department, warned that the death toll might continue to rise. Emergency crews, supported by the national army and police, are diligently searching through mud and rubble for possible survivors.
The floods, which started in mid-April, have now affected 10 of Afghanistan’s provinces, claiming around 100 lives even before this latest disaster. The flooding has had a profound impact on the country’s agriculture-dependent population, with vast areas of farmland submerged.
In the mountainous province of Badakhshan, provincial director of natural disaster management Mohammad Akram Akbari reported significant economic losses and raised concerns about potential casualties in the Tishkan district, where floodwaters have isolated approximately 20,000 residents.
