Diluvian rains fell in the last twenty-four hours in part of the Logar province, south of Kabul. Among the victims, nine children have been identified.
Le Monde with AFP
In eastern Afghanistan, at least twenty people died and more than 3,000 dwellings were destroyed during sudden floods, caused by heavy rains, officials said on Sunday, August 21. Diluvian rains fell in the last twenty-four hours on part of the Logar province, south of Kabul. Among the twenty victims, nine children were identified. Thirty other people were injured, according to a statement from the Governor’s office.
Floods have also destroyed dozens of irrigation channels and around 5,000 hectares of agricultural land, mainly orchards, it added. About 2,000 cattle heads have also perished.
flood risks in twenty -one provinces
The security forces and NGOs evacuated victims to safe areas after the destruction of their homes, the statement said. “We are urging the international community (…) to join the Afghans at the moment critical and to spare no effort to help the victims,” said government spokesman Bilal Karimi in a statement.
For the next few days, the country’s weather services provide for heavy rains with flood risks in twenty -one provinces. Dozens of Afghans die each year due to torrential rains, especially in poor rural areas where summarily built houses can easily collapse.
Since the return to power of Taliban Islamist fundamentalists a year ago, assistance and rescue programs in the event of a disaster funded by the international community have been considerably reduced in Afghanistan. Some countries fear that assistance will be diverted by the Taliban and used to consolidate their power.