KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – India has delivered humanitarian aid to flood-affected communities in Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province, handing over relief supplies to the Taliban-run National Disaster Management Authority in Kabul, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said on Tuesday that the assistance included food supplies and tents. He added that India stands with the people of Afghanistan during the difficult period.
The aid comes after devastating floods struck Parun, the capital of Nuristan province, and surrounding areas on Monday following heavy rainfall. According to figures released by Taliban authorities, at least 23 people have been killed, more than 80 others injured, and over 100 people remain missing following the disaster.
Meanwhile, Nasir Ahmad Faiq, the acting head of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, has called on the UN and humanitarian partners to increase life-saving assistance for flood victims in Nuristan and other affected areas.
In a statement on Wednesday, Faiq expressed condolences to the victims and thanked humanitarian workers for their ongoing efforts to assess needs and provide emergency support.
“ I urge UN agencies and humanitarian partners to rapidly scale up life-saving assistance for affected communities,” Faiq said.
The deadly floods affected several eastern Afghan provinces, including Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Laghman, causing widespread destruction and leaving many families in urgent need of humanitarian support.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the floods have killed at least 26 people and injured 24 others across eastern Afghanistan. According to the agency, Parun, the capital of Nuristan province, was the hardest-hit area, with 23 deaths and 15 injuries, while search and rescue operations remain underway for those still missing.
OCHA added that flooding also affected Nangarhar’s Torkham border crossing, where three Afghan migrants returning from Pakistan were killed and nine others injured. In Laghman province, floods damaged agricultural land and irrigation systems, although no fatalities have been reported there.
