Photo: TOLOnews

Landslide Kills Seven Family Members in Eastern Afghanistan

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban authorities in eastern Paktia province reported that a landslide in Samkani district has killed seven members of a family, all of whom were women and children.

As reported by local media outlet TOLOnews, Nisar Ahmad Najat, the head of the Taliban Natural Disaster Management Department in the province, said that the incident occurred in the village of Orgor in Samkani district on Sunday evening, June 23.

According to Taliban authorities, the incident resulted in the deaths of two women and five children, along with significant financial losses for the family.

According to the report, residents are seeking assistance for the affected family and expressing concern about the possibility of another landslide in the future. They are urging Taliban authorities to take practical measures to address this issue.

This comes amidst a series of natural disasters in Afghanistan in recent months, including earthquakes, flash floods, and landslides, which have claimed hundreds of lives and caused extensive damage for local residents.

In February, a landslide triggered by heavy snowfall killed at least 25 people, including women and children, and injured dozens more in eastern Nuristan province.

On the other hand, Afghanistan has been grappling with incessant heavy rains and flooding in recent months, resulting in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people in many provinces.

A UNICEF report highlights that flooding in Afghanistan has claimed nearly 450 lives and injured over 1,700 people. Approximately 80,000 people have been affected by the disaster, with over 10,000 homes destroyed or damaged, resulting in the displacement of thousands of families.

These natural disasters underscore the vulnerability of the population, following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. The country is now facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis amid shrinking international aid commitments.

According to the UN, this year over 23.7 million Afghans, representing more than half of the population, including over 9 million children, are in urgent need of life-saving assistance.

Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies have been facing one of the most severe funding shortfalls in the past years. the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that it has received only $613.6 million, which is 20.1% of the $3.1 billion requested for Afghanistan in 2024.