Afghanistan hit by devastating floods

Western Afghanistan has been hit by flash floods caused by heavy rains which started to spread two days ago. The floods have killed at least 35 people, completely destroyed homes and also swept through the makeshift shelters which were built to house the displaced families.

As per the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 12 people have been killed in the Faryab province while 10 have lost their lives in the Herat province. Another 8 have been reportedly killed in the Badghis province and 5 in Balkh. More than 3000 homes have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people of the region have already been displaced due to severe drought last year and also due to the 17-year long war with the Taliban.

Floods have not only spelt destruction in a vast area of the country but also put the wheat harvest at risk. Access to some areas is completely cut which has hampered the rescue effort. Even the aid teams are not able to reach people. Poor infrastructure has made the distribution of aid very difficult for aid workers especialy in the isolated areas. Floods are common in the country but usually they are not that severe. There is an apparent lack of proper infrastructure like ditches and sewers to manage the water from runoff either from snow or rain.

The insurgency in the country has locked the development years ago and still the country faces the wrath of the extremist forces who want to stick to the extremist law and ideology. Years of war has left the nation depleted of proper infrastructure. Law and order situation is also grim. To add to the woes, there is a heavy impact of corruption in various governmental corridors.

Floods will affect the wheat output this year thereby increasing burden on the farmer.