Afghanistan floods kill more than 180, Taliban say

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Floods in Afghanistan this month have killed more than 180 people when heavy rain carried out extensive destruction in the provinces of Central and East Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a press conference on Thursday that 182 people were killed and 250 were injured. More than 3,100 houses were destroyed and thousands of livestock were killed, worsening the country’s economic and humanitarian crisis.

Afghan Islamic Emirates cannot manage floods alone, we ask the world, international organizations and Islamic countries to help us, “Mujahid said.

Afghanistan has staggered from this year’s natural disaster, including drought and earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people in June. This nation has largely been cut off from the international financial system since the Taliban took more than a year ago.

Global humanitarian bodies have provided assistance for months, but have warned them to need more access and funds to avoid humanitarian disasters with thousands of people who lose their residence and no access to shelter or clean drinking water.

In the Khoshi district in Central Logar Province, aid workers describe the widespread destruction of a strong flood in the last few days, with a reduced plant field into mud and dead animal body located in a pile.

About 20,000 people in the district were affected by floods and 20 people, including at least six children, were killed with two more missing, said the agency of the UN child.

People lost everything … They lost everything overnight,” said Anne Kindrachuk, Head of the Unicef Afghan Central Region, after a visit to the area.

There are three tent communities or camps but [people] are not sure what will happen next, how they will eat this winter, their livelihoods are abolished, “he said.

Summer often carries heavy rain in North and East Afghanistan, which causes flooding that causes hundreds of people to die every year.

Last year, the victim exceeded 100 while dozens were reported missing in the remote Kamdesh district, about 200 kilometers [120 miles] northeast of the capital, Kabul.

In 2020, at least 100 people were killed in North and East Afghanistan when floods damaged most of the cities of Chornikar, the capital of Parwan Province.

In Pakistani neighboring countries, dozens of districts were submerged by rain, killing at least 437 people since mid -June and forced the evacuation of thousands.