Recent unusual rainfall has severely impacted Pakistan and Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of over 100 people in these neighboring nations, officials reported.
In Afghanistan, the Ministry of Disaster Management, through its spokesperson Mullah Janan Sayeq, reported that 66 individuals lost their lives and 36 were injured due to heavy rains and flooding across 23 provinces.
The disaster also led to the death of 600 animals and the destruction of over 1,200 homes, either partially or completely.
According to the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, the floods have affected approximately 1,200 families and damaged close to 1,000 homes.
More than 63,000 acres of agricultural land have been impacted. The UN is currently assessing the damage and coordinating relief efforts.
Afghanistan’s struggles are compounded by prolonged conflicts and natural calamities, with significant casualties from last year’s severe winter and flash floods, and a major earthquake in October that claimed over 2,000 lives.
Since the Taliban’s ascent to power in August 2021, the country has faced deepening economic and humanitarian crises, complicating the delivery of international aid.
Many global aid organizations ceased operations there in late 2022 following the Taliban’s ban on women working at NGOs.
In Pakistan, especially in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the same storm system has caused the deaths of 32 people, as reported by the provincial disaster management authority.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s federal and provincial authorities reported that over 50 people have died due to heavy rains, flash floods, lightning, storms and landslides.
