Afghanistan has been grounded by heavy seasonal rains for the past few weeks, triggering flash floods, by which more than 300 lives have been claimed and 1000 homes destroyed, adds recorded by the UN. The World Food Program is documented to be providing fortified biscuit rations in flood-effected regions, especially in Baghlan province. Additionally, south of Takhar province, around 20 people lost their lives, based on the reports.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledges the widespread devastation, citing Badakhshan, Baghlan, Ghor, and Herat as severely affected regions. The Taliban government mobilizes resources for rescue and relief efforts, including evacuations and medical aid. The Air Force evacuates people from Baghlan and transports the injured to military hospitals.
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett highlights the necessity of disaster response management and the climate crisis preparation that should be made by both the Taliban and international partners. Videos on social networks are shared, which picture people’s vicarious experiences where the residents of Baghlan look for the elderly. The officials inform the residents to dig graves and then leave the corpses for the authorities in charge to make proper burials.
Therefore, this distress can be deemed as a signal that Afghanistan is at risk of disaster arising from climate-related problems. In April, the torrential rains and floods killed 70 people and affected over 1800 houses, 4 mosques, and 19 schools. The continuous ramifications of such disasters imply the need for effective approaches that could help lessen the disaster’s adverse effects on the poor.
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