Kabul, April 5 (EFE).- The torrential rains in Afghanistan, which began on March 26, have left at least 77 dead and 137 injured throughout the country in the last week, in addition to widespread destruction in homes, infrastructure and farmland.
“In total, from March 26 to today, 77 people have died and another 137 have been injured across the country due to rainfall and flooding,” the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said in a statement late Saturday.
ANDMA reported that the material damage has been extensive, accounting for nearly 800 homes completely destroyed and more than 2,600 with partial damage.
Likewise, that organization detailed that the transportation network has been seriously compromised with the destruction of 337 kilometers of roads in various regions of the country.
In the rural area, authorities indicated that more than 2,300 hectares of agricultural land have suffered damages of varying degrees, which compromises the livelihood of local communities.
In total, it is estimated that some 5,811 families have been directly affected by this series of natural disasters that devastate the nation.
The authorities indicated that the situation has worsened only in the last 48 hours, a period in which 26 people died and 48 were injured due to heavy rains, floods, landslides and lightning strikes.
ANDMA officials assured that response efforts continue and that “our provincial departments have relocated affected families to safe areas and provided them with emergency food and non-food assistance.”
The document adds that “in some areas, the distribution of aid is carried out simultaneously with the assessment of damage.”
At the same time that the country has suffered torrential rains over the last week, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Afghanistan on Friday, leaving nine dead and four injured, according to the Taliban.
The earthquake, which was felt in Kabul and several provinces in the north and east of the country, also caused various structural damages with five homes completely destroyed and another 33 partially damaged.
The combination of severe weather conditions and seismic activity has raised concerns about growing humanitarian pressure, especially in rural and vulnerable areas already struggling with limited resources. EFE
