77 killed, over 100 injured in Afghanistan floods since March 26: Govt officials

Kabul: At least 77 people were killed, and 137 others were injured in floods that swept across several provinces of Afghanistan between March 26 and April 4, local media reported on Sunday, quoting disaster management officials.

Afghanistan’s National Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Management Authority said that floods have caused widespread destruction, leaving hundreds of homes destroyed and damaging thousands of acres of agricultural land, the country’s leading news agency, Khaama Press, reported.

According to authorities, four people remain missing and over 3,400 houses were damaged in several parts of Afghanistan, demonstrating the scale of destruction caused by heavy rains.

Officials said roads were blocked and transport links were disrupted in several provinces of Afghanistan, which impacted rescue efforts and restricted access to affected people in remote regions.

Earlier, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said over 3,000 ‘jeribs’ (a traditional unit of land measurement) of farmland were destroyed, and more than 1,000 livestock were killed due to the severe weather conditions, Khaama Press reported.

The latest flooding in Afghanistan follows a similar pattern witnessed in the past several rainy seasons when heavy rainfall repeatedly caused devastation across the country. Hundreds of people were killed, and houses and farmlands were devastated in similar floods in 2024.

On January 22, a National Disaster Management Authority spokesperson said that at least 11 people have been killed and three others injured amid heavy snowfall and rains lashing multiple provinces.

According to the spokesperson, initial reports from provincial authorities indicated that severe weather had affected residents in the provinces of eastern Parwan, Wardak, southern Kandahar, northern Jawzjan, Faryab, and central Bamiyan, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The storms have partially destroyed nine homes and led to the loss of 530 livestock, severely affecting local livelihoods in these agrarian regions, said the spokesperson, adding that the snow accumulation had blocked key roads, prompting urgent clearance operations by authorities to restore connectivity and facilitate aid delivery.

IANS