KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The death toll from devastating rainstorms and flash floods in eastern Nangarhar province has risen to 130 people, according to a health official in the province.
The source said that more than 400 people were injured, many in critical condition, adding that the death toll could rise as dozens are reported missing or stranded.
The initial record by the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health stated that 40 people were killed and 347 others sustained injuries on Monday, July 15, as a result of recent severe rainstorms and flooding across the province.
Hundreds of the injured from nearby districts were taken to the central hospital in Jalalabad, the province’s capital, the source cited.
The natural disaster caused significant damage to agricultural lands and destroyed dozens of houses in the province, according to Sharafat Zaman Amar, Taliban’s spokesperson for the ministry.
Many people had been left without shelter, food, water, and basic medicine.
The International Rescue Committee said that the agency’s local health teams are assessing the situation to provide emergency assistance for the affected families in the province.
Taliban officials in the province said that Behsud, Beti Kut, and Rodath districts were affected and severe impacts were reported in Jalalabad and Surkh Rod district.
According to a local source, among the dead were 11 members of the same family who were killed when the roof of their house collapsed in Surkh Rod district.
Recently, casualties and significant damage have been reported from other provinces in the country, including Panjshir, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Maidan Wardak, Kapisa, and Paktia.
At least five people, including two women and two children, were killed in eastern Kunar province due to the rains and floods, Taliban local authorities reported.
Afghanistan has been grappling with incessant heavy rains and flooding in recent months, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people in many provinces. It has also claimed the lives of thousands of livestock and caused significant financial losses for the already impoverished population.
According to the UN, the rains and floods in May and April alone have resulted in the deaths of over 500 people and injuries to nearly 2,000 others in Afghanistan. Approximately 80,000 people have been affected by the disaster, with over 10,000 homes destroyed or damaged, leading to the displacement of thousands of families.
The country is most vulnerable to natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, avalanches, landslides, and drought. It is also among the poorest in the world, burdened by decades of conflict, and is particularly susceptible to extreme weather events associated with climate change.
These natural disasters highlight the population’s vulnerability following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. The country is currently experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by declining international aid commitments.
