At least 50 people have died in renewed flooding in northern Afghanistan, including many women and children. Many people are still missing – and further storms are feared.
According to the authorities, at least 50 people were killed in one day alone in the severe flooding that has been ongoing in Afghanistan for weeks. The disaster management in Baghlan province in the north of the country said the fatalities were mainly women and children. In many places, the floods caught people unprepared. Further storms are forecast for the night.
Afghanistan has been hit by floods for days.
The flash floods also hit the capital Kabul, said Abdullah Janan Saiq, Taliban spokesman in the State Ministry for Natural Disaster Management. Rescue teams with food and other relief supplies were sent to the affected areas.
Afghanistan has recently been repeatedly hit by floods. Just earlier this week, heavy rains caused deaths and destruction in parts of the country. At least 70 people died in floods last month.
The radical Islamic Taliban took back power in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of international troops in the summer of 2021. Since then, many states and aid organizations have reduced their aid to the impoverished country. After natural disasters, people are largely left to their own devices.