Unicef: Floods in 14 Afghan provinces affected more than 1,000 families
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in its latest report that flash floods in July affected the lives of 1,168 families across 14 provinces of Afghanistan and destroyed or damaged 1,164 homes.
According to the report, 23 people were killed in a flooding incident in Parun, the capital of Nuristan province, and water supply services for around 1,000 families were also disrupted.
UNICEF also said it supported 2,393 fixed health centres and 16 mobile clinics in July and responded to 245 disease outbreaks across Afghanistan. The agency added that during the same period, about 183,000 children under the age of five were vaccinated against measles.
In the water, sanitation and health sector, UNICEF said about 96,300 people gained access to safe drinking water and more than 89,000 people benefited from basic sanitation services. Essential water and sanitation supplies were also provided for 180,814 people.
According to the report, UNICEF and its partners screened about 1.1 million children for acute malnutrition in July, of whom 104,602 children were admitted for treatment of malnutrition. The agency also said 10.3 million children aged six to 59 months received vitamin A supplements during the same period.
UNICEF stressed that despite the continuing humanitarian challenges, efforts are under way to deliver health, nutrition, water and sanitation services to vulnerable children and families in Afghanistan. Nuristan is one of Afghanistan’s mountainous eastern provinces and is more exposed to flash floods during the rainy season.
