UN reports 300 fatalities in northern Afghanistan due to flash floods

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that over 300 individuals lost their lives in sudden floods that swept across various Afghan regions, as announced on Saturday.

Intense rainfall on Friday triggered torrents of water and mud that devastated villages and farmland in numerous provinces.

In response, the World Food Program initiated the distribution of fortified biscuits to survivors, particularly in Baghlan, a northern province heavily impacted by Friday's floods among several others affected in recent weeks.

According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government, the flooding wreaked havoc in additional northern and western provinces, including Badakhshan, Ghor, and Herat.

“Regrettably, hundreds of our fellow citizens have succumbed to these calamitous floods, while a substantial number have sustained injuries,” Mujahid wrote. “Moreover, the deluge has wrought extensive devastation upon residential properties, resulting in significant financial losses.”

Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on Afghanistan's human rights situation, emphasized the floods as a clear indication of the country's susceptibility to the climate crisis. He stressed the urgent need for both immediate assistance and long-term strategies from the Taliban and international stakeholders.

Afghanistan, already grappling with poverty, faced similar heavy rains and flash floods across 32 of its 34 provinces in mid-April, resulting in the loss of over 100 lives.