The government’s disaster management department reported that heavy rains and flash flooding in Afghanistan over the past three days have resulted in at least 33 fatalities and 27 injuries.
Department spokesperson Janan Sayeq stated on Sunday that the flash floods, triggered by the rainfall since Friday, led to significant human and financial losses, with 33 individuals losing their lives and 27 sustaining injuries.
Most of the casualties resulted from roof collapses, as approximately 600 houses were damaged or completely destroyed.
Additionally, around 200 livestock perished, nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) of roads were destroyed, and approximately 800 hectares (1,975 acres) of agricultural land were washed away due to the flooding, the spokesman added.
The heavy rains affected twenty of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, following an unusually dry winter season that parched the terrain and forced farmers to postpone planting.
According to Sayeq, Western Farah, Herat, southern Zabul, and Kandahar are among the provinces that experienced the most severe damage.
Since the Taliban regained control in 2021, the influx of foreign aid into the impoverished nation has significantly decreased, impeding relief efforts in response to natural disasters.
In February, heavy snowfall triggered a landslide in eastern Afghanistan, claiming the lives of at least 25 people.
Furthermore, approximately 60 individuals lost their lives in a three-week period of precipitation ending in March.
Last year, the United Nations issued a warning highlighting “Afghanistan’s susceptibility to major fluctuations in extreme weather conditions.”
Harsh weather patterns are increasingly attributed to global warming by scientists.
Afghanistan, having endured four decades of war, ranks among the nations least equipped to confront climate change.
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