Flooding in Afghanistan has left more than 300 people dead and thousands homeless.
The UN International Organization for Migration says more than 300 people have died and thousands of homes were destroyed or damaged in Baghlan province when heavy rains on Friday caused widespread flooding.
“On current information: in Baghlan province there are 311 fatalities, 2,011 houses destroyed and 2,800 houses damaged,” said Rana Deraz, a communications officer for the UN agency in Afghanistan
The Taliban Interior Ministry said on Saturday that at least 153 people in three provinces were killed in devastating flash floods in northern Afghanistan. At least 138 people were also injured in flooding in the three northern provinces of Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan caused by heavy rains on Friday.
Abdullah Janan Saiq, the Taliban’s spokesman for the State Ministry for Natural Disaster Management, said rescue operations were continuing, with teams delivering food and other relief items to the victims. He emphasised that rescue is their priority. He also said he would be able to provide more precise information on casualties and destruction later.
The authorities reportedly sent helicopters to try to assist civilians overnight after receiving reports that over 100 people were stranded. Also, emergency workers have been dispatched to the affected areas, rushing to rescue injured and stranded people, the defence ministry said.
Afghanistan, which had a relatively dry winter, making it harder for the soil to absorb precipitation, is very vulnerable to climate change. In addition, Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world and, according to scientists, one of the least prepared for the effects of global warming.
