VANCOUVER, CANADA – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that 180 people have died as a result of the recent devastating floods in Baghlan province. OCHA released a detailed report yesterday, May 12, on the devastating impact of recent floods in the northeastern provinces of Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar.
OCHA says that at least 242 individuals have sustained injuries while a staggering 8,975 houses have been either completely or partially destroyed.
Among the victims, there are 51 children and 50 women, underscoring the widespread humanitarian crisis affecting vulnerable populations across these provinces. The districts of Burka and Baghlan-e Jadid in Baghlan province have borne the brunt of the disaster, with 80% of the casualties occurring in these areas.
Other sources, including the Taliban’s de facto authorities in the province, have reported the casualties as high as over 400 dead. Given the limited access of aid agencies and journalists, it is difficult to verify the truth of the data coming out. In previous instances of natural disasters also the figures reported by the UN have been considerably lower than those publicized by the Taliban. Last year, OCHA’s reported figures for casualties of the multiple earthquakes in Herat were less than one third of what the Taliban reported.
The aftermath of the disaster has also seen significant damage to property, with 5,000 houses in Burka district, 1,500 houses in the Baghlan-e Jadid district, and 612 houses across five other districts were either destroyed or severely damaged. Furthermore, districts such as Khost, Farang, and Taleh-o-Barfak have witnessed the destruction of 603 houses, exacerbating the challenges faced by affected residents.
Devastating floods this spring follow a multi-year drought that had pushed farmers, particularly in the north, to the brink as harvest had declined by as much as half.
Local sources and the residents of damaged areas on social media say that emergency response efforts to attend to the affected families have been thus far slow and insufficient.
According to OCHA, efforts to address the crisis are underway, with ongoing search and rescue operations supported by the Taliban’s Disaster Management Department. These operations, coupled with collaborative relief efforts, may lead to revisions in casualty and damage figures as the situation unfolds.
Earlier reports from the Taliban’s Ministry of Migrants indicated 315 deaths and 1,630 injuries in Balkh province alone. Additionally, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Program (WFP) reported a total of 300 deaths from the floods.
In response to the crisis, nine joint relief teams are currently stationed in Balkh, three in Takhar, and two in Badakhshan, with plans for additional teams to support road clearance efforts and facilitate aid distribution.
