Taliban Authorities Report 10 Missing After Devastating Floods in Nuristan
Following last week’s destructive floods in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, the death toll has risen to over 30. According to the deputy governor of the Taliban administration in the region, bodies of 20 victims have been recovered so far, while at least 10 others remain missing.
Faisal Mukhtar, the deputy governor of the Taliban administration, stated that search operations to find the missing individuals are ongoing. The floods struck parts of Nuristan on Monday, July 20, following heavy rainfall, causing not only human casualties but also impacting hundreds of families.
He added that the natural disaster inflicted extensive damage on urban infrastructure. In the provincial capital, around 10 markets comprising more than 90 shops were destroyed. Additionally, seven houses were completely demolished, and 82 others sustained damage.
Earlier, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the floods affected thousands of people, creating urgent needs for shelter, food, drinking water, healthcare, and hygiene services. The agency also warned that flood victims in Nuristan face severe shortages of healthcare services, medicine, safe drinking water, and sanitary facilities.
Nuristan is a mountainous and hard-to-reach province in Afghanistan, and difficult access to many affected areas has complicated search efforts and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Afghanistan is considered highly vulnerable to climate change, and in recent years, sudden floods and extreme weather events have repeatedly caused significant casualties and damage.
