ISLAMABAD — When he heard that devastating floods hit his village in northern Afghanistan final week, farmer Abdul Ghani rushed residence from neighboring Kunduz province the place he was visiting relations. When he acquired residence, he discovered that his spouse and three kids had perished within the deluge.
Two of his sons survived however one other son, who’s 11, continues to be lacking. “I couldn’t even discover the highway to my village,” he mentioned, describing how he turned again and went one other option to attain his district of Nahrin in Baghlan province.
Throughout Baghlan, others like Ghani and survivors of the catastrophe had been nonetheless looking for their lacking family members and burying their lifeless on Monday.
“Roads, villages and lands had been all washed away,” Ghani mentioned. His spouse, his 7-year-old and 9-year-old daughters and a 4-year-old son died.
“My life has became a catastrophe,” he mentioned, talking to The Related Press over the telephone.
The U.N. meals company estimates that the unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan left greater than 300 folks lifeless and 1000’s of homes destroyed, most of them in Baghlan, which bore the brunt of floodings on Friday.
Survivors have been left with no residence, no land, and no supply of livelihood, the World Meals Group mentioned. Most of Baghlan is “inaccessible by vehicles,” mentioned WFP, including that it’s resorting to each various it may possibly consider to get meals to the survivors.
U.N. Secretary-Common António Guterres has expressed condolences to the victims, mentioned an announcement on Sunday, including that the world physique and assist companies are working with the Taliban-run authorities to assist.
“The United Nations and its companions in Afghanistan are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess wants and supply emergency help,” in line with the assertion.
The lifeless embrace 51 kids, in line with UNICEF, certainly one of a number of worldwide assist teams which are sending reduction groups, medicines, blankets and different provides. The World Well being Group mentioned it delivered 7 tons of medicines and emergency kits to the stricken areas.
In the meantime, the U.N. migration company has been distributing assist packages that embrace short-term shelters, important non-food objects, photo voltaic modules, clothes, and instruments for repairs to their broken shelters.
The most recent catastrophe got here on the heels of a earlier one, when no less than 70 folks died in April from heavy rains and flash floods within the nation. The waters additionally destroyed about 2,000 houses, three mosques and 4 faculties in western Farah and Herat, and southern Zabul and Kandahar provinces.
