A significant number of citizens assert that the natural disasters over the past two weeks in Afghanistan have revealed the Taliban’s inability to manage the country. They emphasize that in nearly three years, this group has provided no services to the citizens. According to their claims, the Taliban are not equipped for governance and management, and during this period, relief organizations have taken on the responsibility of providing services instead. As a result of the recent floods, approximately 500 people have died, dozens are missing, and hundreds more have been injured. Thousands of acres of agricultural land, several thousand residential homes, and all the possessions of some people in the provinces of Baghlan, Ghor, Faryab, Sar-e Pol, Badakhshan, Herat, and Takhar have been swept away by the floods. After two weeks, the Taliban have not taken any practical steps to assist the victims and have only asked international organizations to help those affected.
According to the announced statistics, over the past 10 days, about 500 people have died and hundreds more have been injured due to the devastating floods. The majority of flood victims are women and children.
The deadly floods of the past two weeks have left thousands of citizens homeless, and most of them currently lack access to drinking water, food, clothing, and health services, putting them at risk of various diseases.
Some flood victims in Baghlan province say that nearly two weeks have passed without receiving necessary aid from the Taliban, and contagious diseases have also increased in their areas. According to them, some local Taliban officials visited the flooded areas, took a few photographs, and then left the people to cope with their suffering alone. They added that no senior Taliban officials have visited the vulnerable areas, including Folul, which has been the most severely affected in the Burka district of this province.
These flood victims stress that the Taliban have treated the residents of Baghlan province discriminatorily, providing necessary aid in areas where their affiliates reside while neglecting other regions.
Ghor province is the second province to be ravaged by devastating floods in recent days. According to figures provided by the Taliban, at least 50 people have died in this province, and thousands of homes have been destroyed, with livestock swept away by the floods. The World Food Programme (WFP) has also confirmed that 2,500 families in Ghor have been affected by the floods. UNICEF reported that thousands of homes were destroyed in the floods on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Ghor province.
Additionally, the Taliban-controlled Faryab branch of National Television (RTA) reported that at least 80 people have died due to the floods in this province, five were injured, and five others are missing. According to this television report, the districts of Bilcheragh, Pashtun Kot, Almar, Qaisar, Khyber, Chihilgazi, Dawlat Abad, and the outskirts of Maymana City have suffered the most damage. The highest number of human casualties occurred in Qorchi village of Bilcheragh district.
Simultaneously, floods and storms in Badghis province have claimed three lives, destroyed dozens of homes, and ruined hundreds of acres of agricultural land. Residents of this province have also appealed to aid organizations to assist the flood victims in Badghis.
In addition to the loss of life, and destruction of homes, and farmlands, thousands of livestock in the flood-affected areas have perished. A video obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily from the Pashta-e Noor area in the Dawlat Yar district of Ghor province shows dozens of sheep killed by the floods.
However, some citizens claim that the actual death toll and financial losses are higher than those reported by the Taliban and some aid organizations. They state that most areas have been abandoned, and no information is available about them.
Ahmadullah, a flood victim from Ghor province, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “The floods have swept away cars and everything in their path. Not a single bridge remains; they are all destroyed. Think about how many bridges and culverts there were in Ghor, especially in the flood-affected areas. These cannot be rebuilt with millions of dollars. Now imagine the damage to infrastructure across Afghanistan. The Taliban are indifferent, telling people to pray and that God has brought this calamity upon them.”
Videos shared on social media from the flood-affected areas show that the floods have destroyed all the homes and shops in their path, taking away all the belongings of the people. As a result of these floods, transportation, health, education, and all aspects of community life have been severely disrupted, leaving the flood victims in extremely difficult conditions.
Additionally, United Nations relief workers have warned that Afghanistan’s healthcare system is not prepared to respond to the crisis. According to initial assessments by the UN, Afghanistan under Taliban rule lacks the necessary resources to manage a disaster of this magnitude.
Meanwhile, after the devastating floods in Badakhshan province, an outbreak of dysentery and high fever has spread among children in the Tishkan district. Residents in this district have confirmed that at least 124 children in the villages of Dodgah, Ghori Sang, Deh Ostayan, and Yarsaz Tishkan have contracted the disease. The lack of facilities and access to healthcare services has been cited as the reason for the increase in this disease.
The Taliban have not provided accurate or realistic statistics during this period, and some flood victims from various districts across the country say that days after the floods, no Taliban delegation visited their areas to assess and address the situation.
On the other hand, Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stated that Afghanistan’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is negligible, yet it faces the devastating effects of the climate crisis. He added, “Immediate support is needed to increase humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, as more floods will further impact vulnerable communities.”
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan, has called on international organizations to allocate more funds to assist flood victims in the country. He stated that beyond search and rescue operations, sustained support is needed to restore the lives and livelihoods of flood victims in Afghanistan.
Simultaneously, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations, has appealed to the international community to aid the flood victims and those in need in Afghanistan. He noted that the devastating floods have severely impacted Ghor province.
The recent floods in several provinces have not only caused loss of life and financial damage but have also put historical monuments and ancient sites at risk of destruction. The Minaret of Jam in Ghor province, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is at risk of complete collapse. According to sources, due to flooding in the Jam Valley, a water blockade has submerged up to 10 meters of the minaret, and large stones have struck it, increasing the likelihood of its collapse.
Afghanistan, despite having no role in producing greenhouse gases, has borne the brunt of the climate change crisis. Experts assert that Afghanistan is severely impacted by climate change due to weak infrastructure, the absence of a legitimate government to attract global aid, and the lack of internal resources to tackle natural disasters.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
بحران اقلیم و نبود استراتژی؛ سیلابزدهگان: طالبان برنامهای برای مبارزه با حوادث طبیعی ندارند