Afghanistan: Flash floods kill at least 200 people including children

KABUL, 11 MAY 2024: Flash floods in Baghlan in Northern Afghanistan have killed at least 200 people - including children - with many more injured, according to the de facto authorities. Thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged, with many areas still cut off.  

About 600,000 people -  of which an estimated 310,000 are children - live in the five districts in Baghlan that have been severely impacted by the floods. Save the Children is sending a ‘clinic on wheels’ with mobile health and child protection teams to support children and their families.  

Arshad Malik, Country Director for Save the Children in Afghanistan said:  

‘Lives and livelihoods have been washed away. The flash floods tore through villages, sweeping away homes and killing livestock. Children have lost everything. Families who are still reeling from the economic impacts of three years of drought urgently need assistance.   

Afghanistan is continuing to experience shock after shock. The floods are the latest of a series to hit the country in the last two months. Since the start of the year, nearly 13,000 people in Afghanistan [1] have been impacted by disasters caused by extreme weather, including floods and landslides. 

Afghanistan is one of the most climate impacted countries in the world – but one of the least prepared to cope with the climate crisis. The international community must focus more aid on addressing the immediate and long term impacts of the climate crisis in Afghanistan. More funding is needed to prepare for disasters, to mitigate their impacts and increase resilience for communities.’ 

Save the Children has been supporting communities and protecting children's rights across Afghanistan since 1976, including during periods of conflict and natural disasters. We have programmes in nine provinces and work with partners in an additional seven provinces. Since August 2021, we've been scaling up our response to support the increasing number of children in need. We deliver health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, and livelihood support.    

[1] https://data.humdata.org/dataset/afghanistan-natural-disaster-incidents-in-2024 

We have spokespeople available in Afghanistan. For interview requests and further information, please contact:  

In Kabul: Rachel Thompson, Asia Pacific Regional Media Manager rachel.thompson@savethechildren.org 

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409     

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