The provinces of Baghlan, Ghor, Badakhshan, and Herat have faced devastating floods, resulting in significant human casualties and extensive financial losses. Despite the severity of the situation, many flood victims in these areas still await assistance a week after the disaster. They are actively searching for the bodies of their loved ones along the riverbanks. The affected individuals criticize the Taliban for their lack of response, noting the absence of rescue teams to evacuate victims and provide aid. They accuse the Taliban of showing indifference and neglect towards the lives and properties of the people affected by the floods, citing discriminatory treatment. In the Fullol region of Burka district, Baghlan province, where the highest casualties occurred, survivors report no presence of Taliban officials offering sympathy or assistance for five days. Earlier, a recorded video from the office of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban, claimed his visit to the flooded areas of Baghlan province.
Recent unprecedented floods in several provinces of Afghanistan have resulted in unparalleled human casualties and financial losses for citizens. Baghlan province, in particular, has seen the highest number of casualties and widespread destruction, with hundreds killed and injured.
Various organizations, including international aid groups, government agencies under Taliban control, and local resources, have provided differing statistics on flood victims in Baghlan and other affected provinces. However, precise figures for the recent floods, especially in Baghlan, remain unavailable.
Save The Children Fund has reported that around 40,000 children in Baghlan are now homeless due to heavy rainfall and flooding. The organization further noted the destruction of over 12,000 houses in Baghlan and the impact of the floods on the lives of 80,000 people in the province. They also stated that 310,000 children in northern Afghanistan have been affected by the floods.
Previously, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that at least 50 children had perished and dozens more had been injured in the ongoing floods in northern Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, local sources allege that over 500 individuals have lost their lives in the Burka district and other flood-affected areas of Baghlan, with dozens more sustaining injuries.
A source who visited the Fullol area claims that casualties in this region “could amount to a thousand.” He asserts that no assistance has reached the area to rescue flood victims, and people are still scouring riverbanks and flood channels for their missing relatives after five days, with only basic supplies at hand. The source adds: “The flood has inflicted extensive casualties in Fullol. Villages have been razed, and the entire populace has been swept away. Most are currently unaccounted for. Thus far, six bodies have been recovered from the Angorbagh region of Kunduz province, and four others from Khanabad City of Kunduz province, with many more individuals still missing and no aid forthcoming except a few local rescuers and some helicopters delivering scant supplies of water and bread.”
Videos shared on social media networks after the floods and exclusive videos sent to Hasht-e Subh Daily show that some villages in the areas of Fullol region and Burka district, Baghlan province, have been completely wiped out. One of the video clips recorded in this area is attributed to a man named “Arbab Dost Mohammad,” a resident of Fullol. Standing in a devastated area, he says, “There were 25 houses in this area, including a mosque. There is no trace of the houses and the mosque left. So far, no help has been provided to us, not even a blanket and a glass of water.”
Numerous video clips depicting the dire situation of flood victims in Baghlan province are circulating on social media networks, indicating the severity of the situation in the region. In one of these videos, a young girl sheds tears as she mourns her family members. She says, “The flood took my sister, my uncle’s wife is dead, and my grandmother is missing. We found my sister and the wife of my uncle, but the others are not found,” before grief overwhelms her, preventing further speech.
Najibullah Sadid, an environmental expert, has released satellite images from areas in the Burka district in Baghlan province, stating that Afghanistan now has access to mapping flood damage, natural disaster risk management, and relief operations. Mr. Sadid adds, “Satellite images show how the Burka district in Baghlan, Afghanistan, has been affected by floods. A large part of the district has been inundated due to the flow of water from steep slopes/rivers, which are often dry.”
The devastating floods in Ghor province have also caused significant financial losses for the residents of the Charsada and Marghab districts of this province. These areas, due to their remoteness, have received less attention, while landslides have blocked waterways, submerging one of the villages underwater.
Residents of the “Abkaj Islamabad” village in the Charsada district of Ghor have sent a video showing water accumulation to the Hasht-e Subh Daily. They assert that their village is submerged, with floods posing a constant threat to their lives. According to them, all their belongings are underwater, and they have no food to eat.
The affected residents of Charsada further state that, despite more than a week passing, no organization, including government agencies under Taliban control, has arrived to assist.
Separate reports indicate that, in addition to human casualties, devastating floods in Badakhshan, Takhar, and Herat provinces have inflicted significant financial losses on residents. They have also accused the Taliban of discrimination and mismanagement.
Meanwhile, the office of the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs has released a video of Abdul Ghani Baradar’s visit to Baghlan province, stating that he conducted an aerial tour of the flood-affected areas. According to this office, the level of damage observed in the districts he visited has been high, and he has instructed relevant authorities to utilize all resources to assist the flood victims.
Flood victims and some citizens of the country accuse the Taliban of mishandling natural disaster victims. They claim that this group lacks the ability and knowledge to manage and provide services, holding the country “hostage” and treating people with discrimination and bias.
Mir Haider Afzali, a member of the former parliament of Afghanistan, has written on his X (formerly Twitter) page in response to the Taliban’s behavior towards flood victims, stating that in the past government, despite corruption and discrimination, government officials considered themselves partners in the joys and sorrows of the people. He recalls the floods in Parwan and Kapisa in 2019, where hundreds of homes were destroyed and significant human and financial losses were incurred. According to Afzali, the Taliban, ruling under the guise of religion, is waiting for Western assistance to flood victims after four days so they can claim half of it for themselves, and a member of this group has observed the dire situation of the people from the air. He writes, “The Taliban can do everything except govern and serve the people.”
Alongside foreign support announcements for flood victims in Baghlan, some residents of the country in various provinces have initiated grassroots efforts to collect public aid. By launching campaigns to gather assistance for flood victims in Baghlan, Ghor, Badakhshan, and Takhar, they have expressed their commitment to stand by those affected by the floods.
Simultaneously, residents of flood-affected areas and citizens of the country criticize the lack of transparency and proper management in collecting public donations and charitable contributions. They emphasize the need for strict oversight of the aid distribution process and identification of beneficiaries to prevent abuse by the Taliban and other exploiters.
The majority of flood-stricken areas in Afghanistan claim that despite promises of humanitarian aid from the Taliban and international organizations, they have received no assistance. Now, flood victims who have lost all their possessions and family members find themselves in dire circumstances, facing hunger and the threat of death amidst homelessness and despair.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
فاجعه سیلاب و بیپناهی شهروندان؛ طالبان سیلابزدهگان را از هوا نظاره کردهاند
