11-5-2024 (KABUL) More than 300 people have tragically lost their lives in devastating flash floods that swept through various Afghan provinces, according to reports by the World Food Programme released on Saturday (May 11). The calamitous events have prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency as frantic efforts are underway to rescue the injured.
On Friday, relentless downpours triggered torrents of water and mud, wreaking havoc across villages and agricultural areas in numerous provinces. Survivors have been left to sift through streets clogged with mud and debris, with many buildings bearing the scars of the deluge, witnessed by an AFP journalist on the ground. Rescue teams from both governmental and non-governmental organisations have been deployed to assist, although access to some affected regions remains hindered by the flooding.
The northern province of Baghlan bore the brunt of the disaster, recording a staggering death toll of over 300, with thousands of homes either destroyed or damaged, as per the WFP. Rana Deraz, a communications officer for the UN agency in Afghanistan, relayed the grim statistics, stating, “On current information: in Baghlan province there are 311 fatalities, 2,011 houses destroyed and 2,800 houses damaged,” to AFP.
Afghanistan is facing the effects of global warming. Recent flash floods have caused loss of lives & properties in Baghlan, Ghor & Badakhshan provinces.
The bad climate policies of big industrial powers responsible for global warming are hurting countries like Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/CignKKuTF6
— احمد بدری (@AfghanArmy313) May 11, 2024
Discrepancies in casualty figures have emerged between government reports and those of humanitarian organisations. The International Organization for Migration cited 218 deaths in Baghlan, while the Afghan Interior Ministry spokesperson, Abdul Mateen Qani, acknowledged 131 fatalities but cautioned that the toll could rise as many remain missing.
Further casualties were reported in northern Takhar province, where 20 people lost their lives, and neighbouring Badakhshan, where two fatalities were recorded. Zabihullah Mujahid, a government spokesperson, lamented the widespread devastation, stating, “Hundreds of our fellow citizens have succumbed to these calamitous floods,” in a statement posted earlier.
The aftermath of the floods has left communities reeling, particularly in Baghlan, Takhar, and Badakhshan, along with Ghor and Herat provinces. Jan Mohammad Din Mohammad, a resident of Baghlan’s provincial capital Pol-e-Khomri, shared his harrowing experience, recounting how his entire life was swept away by the floodwaters, leaving his family homeless and destitute.
Emergency response efforts have been mobilised, with the defence ministry coordinating rescue missions and distributing aid. The air force has initiated evacuation operations as weather conditions permit, ferrying over a hundred injured individuals to hospitals for treatment. The Ministry of National Defense has also commenced the distribution of essential supplies to affected communities.
These devastating floods come in the wake of earlier flooding incidents since mid-April, which claimed approximately 100 lives across ten provinces. Afghanistan’s heavy reliance on agriculture leaves vast swathes of farmland submerged, exacerbating the plight of a population already grappling with poverty. The nation’s vulnerability to climate change, compounded by decades of conflict, underscores the urgent need for both immediate relief efforts and long-term resilience planning.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, issued a sobering reminder of the country’s susceptibility to the climate crisis. He stressed the imperative for coordinated action by both the Taliban regime and international stakeholders to address the humanitarian fallout from such disasters.
