Torrential rain worsens situation in Afghanistan, flash floods forecasted in 24 provinces
Aug 26, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], August 26 : While Afghanistan continues to witness heavy downpours, the Afghanistan Meteorological Department (AMD) has issued a warning for thunderstorms and flash floods in twenty-four provinces of Afghanistan.
The central, northeastern, eastern, and southeastern regions of Afghanistan are predicted to experience heavy rain, wind gusts, and flash floods, Khaama Press reported citing the AMD.
Heavy rainfalls have already destroyed homes and displaced numerous families in Afghanistan.
According to Khaama Press, Logar, Ghazni, Nooristan, Kunar, Badakhshan, Kapisa, Uruzgan, Takhar, Baghlan, Bamyan, Helmand, Samangan, Laghman, Kabul, Nangarhar, Maidan Wardak, Ghor, Daikundi, Panjshir, Zabul, Paktika, Parwan, Paktia, and Khost are among the provinces included in the warning issued by the AMD.
The AMD warning stated that rainfall levels may vary between 15 and 60 millimetres and wind speeds ranging from 20 to 60 kilometres per hour.
Due to heavy downpours, 6 people died on Tuesday as a result of flooding in numerous regions of the Maruf district of Kandahar province. Furthermore, the catastrophic floods have claimed the lives of 3 people in the districts of Jaghori, Qarabagh, and Andar in Ghazni. Several acres of agricultural fields were turned into wetlands and devastated as a result of the floods in the village of Angoori in the Jaghori district.
The heavy rains and flash floods have affected a large number of villages and townships in the three provinces located in the country's eastern and central areas over the past several days.
According to local residents, the floods have caused the destruction of hundreds of residential structures, thousands of acres of farming fields, and dozens of gardens.
About two weeks ago, more than 40 people including women and children were killed and many others injured when floods swept across a village in Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan province.
Severe rainfall and flash floods in the Panjshir and Takhar provinces of Afghanistan also damaged property extensively. 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. Over the past month, about 400 people reportedly have lost their lives due to monsoon rains and flooding in Afghanistan.
