Another 29 Killed In Afghanistan Rains

Ongoing downpours have killed another 29 people in Afghanistan over the past four days, the government disaster management department said Saturday.

Afghanistan was parched by an unusually dry winter that desiccated the earth, followed by a two-week streak of downpours in most provinces that has caused sporadic flash flooding.

Disaster Management Department spokesman Janan Sayeq said “29 people lost their lives because of rains” between Wednesday and Saturday, with fatalities spread across ten provinces.

Seven others have been injured over the same period, he said, while 72 houses have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 2,500 acres of agricultural land swept away.

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More than 100 people have been killed in flooding this month, according to official figures, whilst more than 25,000 families have required aid as a result of the deluge.

The United Nations last year warned that “Afghanistan is experiencing major swings in extreme weather conditions”.

After four decades of war, the country ranks among the nations least prepared to face extreme weather events, which scientists say are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.

At least 25 people were killed in a landslide after massive snowfall in eastern Afghanistan in February, while around 60 were killed in a three-week spate of precipitation ending in March.

AFP