Afghanistan ravaged by deadly floods killing at least 84 in northern regions

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ISLAMABAD. Devastating floods triggered by heavy rains have inflicted further tragedy upon Afghanistan’s northern regions, claiming the lives of at least 84 people, as reported by a Taliban spokesman on Sunday.

The onslaught of heavy rains unleashed flash floods across four districts in Faryab province on Saturday night, resulting in 66 fatalities, five injuries, and eight individuals missing, according to Esmatullah Moradi, spokesperson for the provincial governor. This calamity follows the loss of 18 lives in floods on Friday.

Moradi revealed that approximately 1,500 houses suffered complete or partial destruction, while hundreds of hectares of farmland were inundated, leading to the demise of over 300 animals.

The impact of these catastrophic floods extends beyond Faryab province. In the western province of Ghor, Abdul Wahid Hamas, spokesperson for the provincial governor, reported 50 casualties from Friday’s floods, with Ghor being identified as the most severely affected area by the U.N. food agency.

The World Food Program (WFP) highlighted the dire consequences of the floods, emphasizing the loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods among survivors. The floods in April had already claimed 70 lives and destroyed thousands of homes, mosques, and schools in provinces such as Farah, Herat, Zabul, and Kandahar.

The humanitarian situation remains critical, with WFP noting that large portions of Baghlan province are inaccessible by trucks, exacerbating the challenges of delivering aid to affected communities.

An Afghan couple sit near their damaged home in western Afghanistan on May 18.Omid Haqjoo / AP
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Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.