Floods Destroy Over 16,700 Acres of Farmland in Afghanistan, Affect Thousands of Families
The National Disaster Management Authority has announced that recent devastating floods in several provinces of the country have destroyed more than 16,700 acres of farmland and affected thousands of families. According to the authority, these events have caused extensive financial losses and plunged the agricultural sector into a new crisis.
Mohammad Yousuf Hamid, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority, stated that in addition to the destruction of this amount of farmland, 4,136 trees have also been lost, and a total of 7,504 families have been impacted by the floods. He added that the greatest damage was recorded in the provinces of Baghlan, Badakhshan, Takhar, Nangarhar, and Samangan—regions annually vulnerable to natural disasters.
Farmers in the affected areas speak of severe losses. One farmer from Baghlan said he had never experienced such a flood in his lifetime. According to him, the water swept away everything, leaving nothing to continue working or provide for his family’s livelihood.
Meanwhile, Richard Trenchard, head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), visited the flood-affected areas and warned about the consequences of the event. He said that the damaged lands played an important role in supplying food to the city of Pul-e-Khumri, the center of Baghlan province, and their loss could affect the region’s economic and food security situation. He added that, besides farmland, a number of houses were either completely or partially destroyed, and reports indicate extensive livestock losses as well.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock under the Taliban administration has assured that steps have been initiated to identify the affected and address the situation of farmers. Sher Mohammad Hatami, spokesperson for the ministry, said efforts are underway to assist farmers using available resources; however, no clear details have been provided regarding the scale or timing of this aid.
Seasonal floods cause financial and human losses annually in various parts of the country. Experts have repeatedly stressed that climate change, ineffective water resource management, and a lack of control infrastructure are the main factors behind the recurrence of these disasters. This issue requires long-term planning and serious accountability from responsible institutions, including the Taliban administration.
