Heavy rain and storms have killed at least 121 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan over two weeks, causing floods, landslides and widespread damage.
KABUL: Heavy rain and storms have killed at least 121 people across Afghanistan and Pakistan over the past two weeks.
Disaster officials in both countries reported the casualties on Saturday, citing widespread destruction from floods and landslides.
Afghanistan’s disaster management authority reported 77 deaths and 137 injuries nationwide since March 26. Spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Hammad said 26 of those fatalities occurred in the past 48 hours due to rains, floods, landslides and lightning.
In Pakistan, officials confirmed 44 deaths from heavy rains in recent weeks. Provincial authorities reported 32 fatalities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since March 25 and 12 in Balochistan since March 20.
The latest Afghan casualties include a child who drowned in a flash flood in Ghazni province on Saturday morning. Provincial police said the child was playing with others when the incident occurred.
Two more children drowned in different districts of the same province. Three people also died in Kandahar when their house roof collapsed under the weight of rain.
ANDMA spokesman Hammad noted spring rainfall can strengthen underground water sources and aid agriculture. He warned it also causes significant human suffering and financial loss.
Farmer Abdul Rahim Taimori from Herat province described unprecedented flooding. “We don’t remember such a flood happening before. It has caused us a lot of damage,” the 45-year-old told AFP.
The floods have destroyed crops and homes, leaving some residents considering relocation. Farmer Majal Niazi, also 45, said his family is forced to stay in their one-room house despite the danger.
Several roads have been closed due to the weather, including a key route between Kabul and Jalalabad. Afghanistan’s disaster authority renewed warnings for people to avoid rivers and follow weather forecasts.
These casualties follow more than 60 deaths from snow and heavy rain in Afghanistan last January. The country frequently experiences deadly natural disasters, particularly in remote areas with fragile infrastructure.
Among the world’s poorest nations after decades of war, Afghanistan is highly exposed to climate change effects. Scientists say climate change is spurring more extreme weather events.
“It was drought before and now we have these rains, both are a danger,” said Herat farmer Abdul Sattar, 40.
