Flooding in Afghanistan leaves about 40 people dead

Flooding from heavy rains in eastern Afghanistan has left about 40 people dead and 347 injured, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

The storms have destroyed many homes, the health ministry added, leaving about 1,500 children displaced, according to Save the Children.

Save the Children also said the storms damaged a reception center in Torkham, which was set up to support some of the 650,000 Afghans who have returned to the country since September 2023, after being forced out of Pakistan in a crackdown on migrants.

Many people have been stranded without access to basic needs, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Emergency personnel have responded by providing health services “with full dedication,” the health ministry said.

The IRC has deployed a mobile health team to the worst affected areas in Nangarhar province and is preparing to deploy another two emergency response teams.

“The loss of life and devastation in flood-affected areas is a fresh disaster for Afghanistan. Our thoughts are with the people impacted by this tragedy and the first responders working to rescue and provide medical care to families and individuals,” IRC Afghanistan Director Salma ben Aissa said.

The storms come just two months after major flooding and rainfall in the northeast killed more than 300 people and destroyed over 1,000 homes, according to the Word Food Programme.