Over 200 people have died in a single province as a result of the flash floods that have ravaged northern Afghanistan, the UN said on Saturday.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) informed AFP that severe rains on Friday caused catastrophic floods in Baghlan province, which resulted in the deaths of over 200 people and the destruction or damage of thousands of buildings.
An IOM emergency response lead stated, using data from the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, that “more than 100 people died” and that up to 1,500 dwellings were damaged or destroyed in the Baghlani Jadid area alone.
As of Friday night, 62 people have killed, according to Taliban administration authorities.
In a post on X, previously Twitter, on Saturday, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that “hundreds of our fellow citizens have succumbed to these calamitous floods” without providing a breakdown of the number of dead and injured; however, he did confirm with AFP that dozens had died.
Flash floods occurred in several districts around Afghanistan; on Saturday, officials in the northern Takhar province reported 20 fatalities.
According to authorities, Friday’s rains also severely damaged western Herat, central Ghor province, and northeastern Badakhshan region.
According to the defense ministry, emergency professionals have been sent to the affected areas and are working quickly to save the injured and trapped.
Afghanistan is extremely sensitive to climate change because of its unusually dry winter, which made it harder for the soil to absorb rainwater.
