Afghanistan flash floods kill over 300 people

Flash floods hit the northeast province of Baghlan this weekend and destroyed more than 2,000 homes, according to the United Nations’ World Food Program. Footage appeared to show a river of floodwater surging over provincial areas with people and buildings standing nearby. The province already faced emergency levels of hunger, and now the flood has destroyed the agriculture that drives its economy, said WFP Baghlan field office head Hayatullah Rasoli. Floods affected buildings in more than half of the province’s districts, according to the World Health Organization.

What is the rescue and recovery response like? On Monday, search and rescue operations were underway to find survivors under mud and debris. The WHO Afghanistan delivered nearly eight tons of medicines, supplies, and medical kits. Several health facilities remained non-operational, and the full extent of the damage from the floods was still being assessed, the WHO added. The Taliban’s Ministry of National Defense has also distributed food, medicine, and first aid to affected citizens, the group said in a statement. 

Dig deeper: Read Jenny Lind Schmitt’s report in WORLD Magazine about life for women in Afghanistan.