Flash floods have killed at least 120 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and damaged houses, infrastructure and farmland since Friday, according to authorities.
While losses in both countries are devastating, the disaster will hit Afghanistan particularly hard, a country largely cut off from international assistance since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, after two decades of war with a US-led coalition and western-backed government.
“Our estimates show that around 70 people lost their lives and around 56 were injured as a result of heavy rains and floods across 23 provinces of Afghanistan,” Janan Sayeq, spokesperson of the Taliban-run Disaster Management Authority, told The National.
Other estimates put the death toll at around 88.
“In addition, 2,627 houses, 3 mosques and 4 schools have been partially or completely damaged.”
Devastated by the continuing humanitarian crisis and enduring drought in the country, most families affected by the floods are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
“Together with aid organisations, we are trying to provide help for those affected by the recent floods considering their urgent needs such as food, shelter and rehabilitation of their agricultural land,” Mr Sayeq said.
Despite prolonged drought in Afghanistan causing harvest failure, sudden deluges can also destroy existing crops.
“It’s peak vegetable season in this region and wheat will be ready for collection soon. The continuing rain will destroy most of it, causing great loss for the farmers,” Sardar Agha, a farmer from Laghman province in eastern Afghanistan, the country’s main agricultural region, told The National.
“The crops in our field are all that we have and if we lose them, we will have nothing to feed our families with for most of the year.”
According to estimates by the country’s disaster management authority, more than 19,000 hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed so far and more than 2,000 livestock have died since the weekend.
This will affect food security across the country, as more than half of the population is already in need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates.
In a statement on Thursday, Afghanistan’s aviation ministry warned of the possibility of more heavy rains and floods in 29 out of 34 provinces of the country in the coming two days.
Due to mountainous geography, thin vegetation cover in many areas and insufficient infrastructure, Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to deluges. Many communities in remote areas are particularly at risk, lacking proper road access and threatened by landslides.
The preparedness and response capacity is also very low in the country, after most international funding stopped after the Taliban regained power.
“We had many problems in our life. With the recent floods, we lost our houses and our livestock,” 54-year-old Haji Gul from Uruzgan province told The National.
“We won’t be able to build our house without support from the government. If we can’t get help soon, our children may die. We need food, water, and a place to live in.”
Experts suggest that the steps taken so far to prevent floods have been limited and are not enough to control the devastating situation, particularly in the face of increasing climate change impacts, that include an increase in the frequency and intensity of rainfall.
“Afghanistan doesn’t have the required infrastructure to store rainwater and prevent floods,” Noorudin Jalali, a Kabul-based environmentalist, told The National. “Most people in rural areas reside in at-risk places close to rivers and streams and they don’t have the means to receive timely information about floods and associated risks. Thus, the damages are inevitable.”
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Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
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Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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UAE squad v Australia
Rohan Mustafa (C), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Fahad Nawaz, Amjed Gul, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Muhammad Naveed, Amir Hayat, Ghulam Shabir (WK), Qadeer Ahmed, Tahir Latif, Zahoor Khan
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China |
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UAE |
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Japan |
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Norway |
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Canada |
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Singapore |
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Australia |
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Saudi Arabia |
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South Korea |
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Results
Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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Tomorrow 2021
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
