At least 50 dead as Afghanistan hit by more flooding, heavy rain

A fresh bout of heavy rain and flooding in Afghanistan’s central province of Ghor has claimed the lives of at least 50 people, including children, the local government said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement added that thousands of houses, shops, agricultural lands, as well as bridges have been destroyed.

The statement added that all roads connecting the provincial capital with the districts in the province have been blocked.

“The victims have a severely dire situation with no access to shelter, water, food, and other necessities,” the provincial government statement read.

Last week, heavy rains set off flash floods in northern Afghanistan. The province of Baghlan was severely impacted where more than 300 people were killed, according to the official figures.

Afghanistan is prone to extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. Experts blame the climate crisis for this.

After decades of wars and conflicts, the country is ill-prepared to cope with the consequences of climate change.

The country is still reeling from the multiple earthquakes earlier this year and severe flooding in March.