Heavy rains and floods have wreaked havoc in Afghanistan, claiming the lives of at least 66 people and leaving 36 injured, according to reports from Arab News and authorities on April 16. The majority of fatalities occurred as houses collapsed under the force of the deluge, with widespread damage to infrastructure and agricultural land observed across the country.
Janan Sayik, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority, provided preliminary figures, indicating the scale of the catastrophe. Over 1235 houses were damaged, and approximately 600 livestock perished as a result of the natural disaster. Floods have inundated 23 out of 34 regions in Afghanistan, posing a severe threat to crops and food security.
The timing of the floods compounds the crisis, as wheat crops, critical for sustenance, are nearing harvest. Gul Husain, a farmer from the Lagman region, expressed concerns over the potential devastation of the wheat harvest, highlighting the immediate risk to food supplies.
The impact of the floods has not been confined to Afghanistan alone. Across the Persian Gulf region, heavy rains have triggered calamitous conditions. In Oman, at least 18 fatalities have been reported, while all flights were suspended in the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have also experienced heavy rainfall, intensifying the humanitarian crisis.
Furthermore, neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan and Russia have not been spared from the effects of the floods. Efforts are underway to mitigate losses and address the widespread devastation caused by the natural calamity.
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