Catastrophic floods affect 30 out of 34 provinces of Afghanistan: Report
Sep 02, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 2 : Flash floods in Afghanistan have affected more than 100,000 people this year, devastating 30 of the country's 34 provinces, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' (OCHA) report.
85,000 people have received flood-relief assistance including food, tents, medical attention, water, sanitation, hygiene kits and other essential items, Khaama Press reported citing the OCHA report.
In addition to the 250 people who were killed by the recent floods, over 100,000 Afghans have been harmed by flooding in various regions of the country.
The total number of flood-related fatalities was 147 the previous year, however, a significant increase of 75 per cent in the flood death toll was recorded this year.
Almost 23 million Afghan people benefitting from at least one form of humanitarian aid delivered as the UN office's Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan seek to provide relief aid to at least 22.1 million people this year.
Taliban's acting Foreign Minister also appealed to the international community and humanitarian agencies to assist those in Afghanistan who have been impacted by recent natural catastrophes, claiming that the group cannot provide for the victims on its own, earlier today.
The eastern, central, southern, and western regions of Afghanistan have all seen heavy rains that have resulted in flash floods and landslides that have killed and displaced people and destroyed homes.
"Since 5 July, flash floods have reportedly killed 39 people across five provinces," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a flood update.
The heavy rains damaged or destroyed around 2,900 houses, a tenfold increase since the last reporting period, and also disrupted livelihoods. Critical civilian infrastructure such as roads and bridges have also been impacted.
Multiple localized assessments and relief operations are ongoing. OCHA said that it continues to coordinate the emergency response on behalf of humanitarian partners in all four regions affected - central, eastern, southern, and south-eastern regions.
Over the past month, about 400 people reportedly have lost their lives due to monsoon rains and flooding in Afghanistan.
