Afghanistan calls for help as floods kill scores, destroy homes

 

Flooding this month has wrought widespread devastation in central and eastern Afghan provinces, killing 182 people, washing away thousands of houses and wiping out livestock, Taliban officials say.

People clean up their damaged homes after the heavy flood in Khushi district of Logar, Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Recent flooding in Afghanistan has killed more than 180 people, injured hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes, the Taliban said, urging countries and international donors to help the country already reeling under a severe economic crisis. 

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan can't manage the floods alone, we ask the world, international organisations and Islamic countries to help us," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told media on Thursday.

Mujahid said 182 people had been killed by floods this month and 250 injured. More than 3,100 houses had been destroyed and thousands of livestock killed.

Flooding has wrought widespread devastation in central and eastern Afghan provinces in recent weeks, washing away thousands of houses and exacerbating the country's economic and humanitarian crisis.

Afghanistan has been reeling from natural disasters this year, including a drought and an earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people in June. 

The nation has been largely cut off from the international financial system since the Taliban took over a year ago. 

The whole #Nawdeh village of Malistan drowned in the flash floods. #Ghazni #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/dsPmldfi2r

— Zahra Rahimi (@ZahraSRahimi) August 21, 2022

'Livelihoods were wiped out'

In Khoshi district in central Logar province, aid workers described widespread destruction from the powerful floods in recent days, with fields of crops reduced to mud and bodies of dead animals lying in piles.

Around 20,0000 people in the district were affected by flooding and 20 people, including at least six children, had been killed with two more missing, the UN children's agency said.

"People lost everything ... they lost everything overnight," said Anne Kindrachuk, central region chief for UNICEF Afghanistan, after a visit to the area.

"There are three tent communities or camps but (people) are unsure what comes next, how they are going to eat this winter, their livelihoods were wiped out," she said. 

 

 

🚨#Afghanistan: In 2022, flash floods are believed to have killed 256 people, including 118 since 1 August. This is a 75% increase over the 147 casualties caused by floods in 2021. Humanitarians are on the ground responding to the affected people.

More:🔗https://t.co/l692C7qEWf pic.twitter.com/teWS1fGIHw

— OCHA Afghanistan (@OCHAAfg) August 24, 2022

Source: Reuters 

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(With input from news agency language)

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