SHEIKH JALAL: As the death toll from flash floods in northern Afghanistan climbed to 315, hundreds more were forced to flee their homes due to heavy rains. On Sunday, rescue and emergency personnel found it difficult to get to the hardest-hit districts.
The region of Baghlan that was most severely affected was the north, where efforts to provide help were hindered by the damage that the floods caused to roads and bridges.
A two-hour drive from Burka, one of the worst damaged districts, to Sheikh Jalal, where locals were stopped on entirely washed-out roads alongside military vehicles, food-filled assistance trucks, and rescue personnel.
Heavy equipment was being used by the military to clear the path and free assistance trucks that had become bogged in the muck.
As part of a group from the Turkish Hak Humanitarian Relief Association attempting to transport food to Burka, Mohammad Ali Aryanfar reported that they had been traveling since early Sunday morning but were obstructed in Sheikh Jalal.
“We pray that the road opens and we can reach the area because our compatriots there (in Burka) need assistance,” he said.
“People don’t have anything; they don’t have shelters; their houses have been destroyed,” he continued.
The authorities reported on Sunday that the flooding in Baghlan had resulted in 315 fatalities and over 1,600 injuries. It further stated that 1,000 animals had been killed and over 2,600 dwellings had been damaged or destroyed.
The WFP verified that over 300 people had died in Baghlan.
