Recent floods in Baghlan and Badakhshan provinces of Afghanistan have claimed the lives of 16 individuals, including women and children, as reported by TOLO News. Local officials in these provinces have stated that 500 houses have been either completely or partially destroyed by the floods.
The affected areas include Dand-e-Ghori, Doshi, Pul-e-Khumri city, Morchak village in central Badakhshan, and other parts of the provinces, according to TOLO News.
Abdul Ghafoor Khadem, the Taliban-appointed Baghlan Police Command chief, reported significant casualties in the Larkhab area of Doshi district, Baghlan province. Abdul Ghafoor Khadem stated that approximately 6 individuals, including 3 children, 1 woman, and 2 men, lost their lives, with over 300 houses destroyed.
In Badakhshan, Mohammad Kamgar, the Taliban-appointed head of the Natural Disaster Management, mentioned that 10 members of one family perished, and another individual sustained injuries due to the floods.
Amidst the devastation, flood victims expressed frustration over the delayed arrival of aid. Families who lost everything in the floods urged immediate assistance from the Taliban-led government and aid organizations.
Hizbullah, a flood victim, lamented the loss of 9 family members and criticized the slow response, stating that only 2 bodies have been recovered so far. Another victim, Ziaullah, emphasized the importance of equitable aid distribution across all affected regions.
The floods have caused widespread destruction, claiming more than 300 lives in the past week and causing extensive damage to residential houses and agricultural land. In response to the challenging access to affected areas, the World Food Programme (WFP) resorted to alternative methods, including using donkeys to transport emergency supplies to Baghlan, as trucks could not reach the inaccessible regions.
