Kabul, Afghanistan, May 13, 2024 — Major flooding has hit at least seven provinces in Afghanistan, with over 250 lives lost and thousands more stranded without access to services.
Alongside the tragic loss of life, infrastructure including roads and power lines, has been destroyed in Baghlan, Ghor, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Samangan, Badghis and Takhar provinces. The International Rescue Committee is preparing to scale up its emergency response in affected areas.
Salma Ben Aissa, IRC Afghanistan Director, said,
“These latest floods have caused a major humanitarian emergency in Afghanistan, which is still reeling from a string of earthquakes at the beginning of this year as well as severe flooding in March. Communities have lost entire families, while livelihoods have been decimated as a result.
“The continuation of climate-induced disasters in Afghanistan ought to be cause for grave concern: devastated by decades of conflict and economic crisis, the country has faced setback after setback as it tries to find its feet. Ordinary Afghans have paid the price of economic crisis that left millions of people without a source of income, and the recent barrage of disaster threatens what little stability people have strived for over the years.
“This should sound an alarm bell for world leaders and international donors: we call upon them to not forget Afghanistan during these turbulent global times. Afghans need our support now more than ever.”
See here for latest IRC stories, photos and video footage from the flood affected areas in Afghanistan.
The IRC began working in Afghanistan in the 1980s and for more than four decades we have provided life-changing support to people affected by conflict and natural disasters. Currently, we have 5,002 staff members in Afghanistan and 99% of them are Afghan. Our staff are responding to the triple threat of hunger, economic collapse and the near-total breakdown in public services. The IRC delivers services in 13 provinces; in 2023, we reached 7 million clients.