KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) says it needs an additional $14.5 million in funding to support families impacted by the recent devastating floods in Afghanistan over the next 7 months.
In a statement released on Monday, June 3rd, the WFP announced that it has already provided assistance to over 65,000 individuals in the regions most impacted by the recent floods in Afghanistan.
“We need $14.5 million over the next seven months to assist families in the flood-affected areas and help them rebuild their livelihoods,” the UN agency said.
Since the beginning of May, Afghanistan has experienced an unusual and heavy rainfall, followed by widespread floods primarily in the northern and northeastern provinces. These events have resulted in significant casualties and damage among the local population.
As reported by the UN agencies, floods occurring on May 10 and 11 in the northeastern provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, and Baghlan resulted in the loss of 347 lives and left 1,651 injured. The floods ravaged 7,800 houses, claimed nearly 14,000 livestock, and destroyed approximately 24,000 hectares of land across the three provinces.
Additional heavy rainfall on May 17th and 18th triggered yet another wave of flash floods in northern and western Afghanistan, impacting 10 districts in Ghor province and eight districts in Faryab province. According to the WHO, these floods resulted in at least 120 deaths, with hundreds more missing, and caused extensive damage to private properties and civilian infrastructure.
Survivors have been left with no home, no land, and no source of livelihood.
The floods disproportionately affected women and children, who were often inside their homes during the heavy rains, while men sought shelter in public buildings like mosques. Many of the affected women relied on livestock and farming for their livelihoods, but the floods wiped out their only source of income.
Earlier today, the UN children’s fund (UNICEF) reported that tens of thousands of children in Afghanistan remain affected by ongoing flash floods, especially in the northern and western provinces.
The UN agency emphasized that the flash floods in Afghanistan pose an urgent and persistent threat to children. It called for increased investment in disaster preparedness and climate resilience, highlighting that the recent floods serve as a stark warning of potential future climate hazards.
“The international community must redouble efforts and investments to support communities to alleviate and adapt to the impact of climate change on children. At the same time, UNICEF and the humanitarian community must prepare ourselves for a new reality of climate-related disasters,” said Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan.
“The growing number and severity of extreme weather events will require UNICEF and other humanitarian actors to step in with even more rapid and large-scale humanitarian responses. But this can only be possible with strengthened preparedness measures, such as greater pre-positioning of emergency relief supplies and enhanced coordination with partners,” the UN official added.
The recent natural disasters have exacerbated Afghanistan’s existing challenges, including economic collapse and widespread food insecurity. According to the UN, 23.7 million people, including 12.4 million children, in the country require humanitarian aid this year.
