Tragic flooding in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province has claimed the lives of over 50 individuals, with fears that the death toll could continue to climb, according to a Ministry of the Interior spokesperson.
Abdul Mateen Qaniee, the ministry’s representative, informed Reuters that multiple districts in Baghlan were inundated following heavy rainfall, leaving families stranded and in urgent need of assistance.
Forecasters have predicted two more intense storms for Friday night, complicating rescue efforts due to a lack of night vision equipment in helicopters.
Local official Hedayatullah Hamdard, head of the provincial natural disaster management department, corroborated the toll and warned that the number of casualties might increase as emergency teams continue their search for survivors buried under debris.
Since mid-April, devastating floods have claimed around 100 lives across ten Afghan provinces, wreaking havoc on farmland crucial for the country’s agricultural-dependent population.
Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change has been exacerbated by a dry winter, hindering the soil’s ability to absorb excess rainfall and leaving the nation ill-equipped to cope with the impacts of global warming.
Despite contributing minimally to greenhouse gas emissions, Afghanistan ranks among the countries most susceptible to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness and mitigation measures.
Original from www.aljazeera.com