According to information provided by officials, in Nangarhar, over the past two days, heavy and continuous rains and floods have caused 24 people to be martyred and 33 others injured in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, and in various districts.
Those affected by the rains and floods say that this year’s rains and floods were unprecedented, and they have caused extensive human and financial losses.
A flood-affected person, Rahmuddin, said: “I have been living here for about 15 years, but I have never seen such a strong flood. Including myself, all people’s houses were filled with water, and many collapsed.”
An affected person, Qiyamuddin, said: “I clung to my house wall; the floodwater went above the roof. We only managed to get the people out of the house; everything else was carried away by water.”
In Nangarhar, many of those affected by the floods had built their homes along riverbanks and streams.
According to them, all household belongings have been carried away by water, and they now urgently need emergency assistance.
A flood-affected person, Dawa Jan, said: “Here, around 180 to 200 houses have been submerged. All of the household items of these houses are under water and mud. We request that a retaining wall be built along the riverbank.”
A flood-affected person, Abdul Khaliq, said: “There is no house in this area that water has not entered. The government should address our situation. These houses are uninhabitable for the next two months. Where should we go?”
Officials say they have successfully evacuated hundreds of people from flood-affected areas to safe locations by land and air since the rains began.
Officials also say that an emergency provincial meeting was held to provide assistance to the flood-affected and those harmed by the rains, and it was decided that emergency help should be given as soon as possible.
The Director of Information at Nangarhar’s Department of Information and Culture, Qureshi Badloon, said: “Joint working teams have been formed, and surveys are ongoing in all areas. Because it is still raining and more rain is possible, the provincial administration is ready to serve the people and address the problems.”
It should be noted that, besides Nangarhar, rains and floods in the eastern zone in three other provinces – Laghman, Kunar, and Nuristan – have also caused human and material losses, and in some areas, landslides from the mountains blocked major roads.
Officials in these provinces say that due to timely action, the roads have been reopened.
