The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has asked the international community to provide the country with $322 million aid to address people affected by recent natural incidents in the country. The demand was raised in a conference held last Thursday in Kabul. Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the conference was attended by representatives from United Nations agencies and other NGOs based in Afghanistan.
Hundreds of people have been killed and wounded due to recent flash floods hit most provinces as Paktia, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Parwan, Ghazni, Zabul and Kandahar. The flood-hit families are still asking for aid from the IEA and donor organizations.
Mustafa, a resident of Parwan, has told The Kabul Times correspondent that his house has been destroyed by recent floods and he lost everything. He said his children have been wounded and had not shelter to live, asking for aids.
Shah Anwar, a resident of Logar’s Mohammad Agha district, says he has witnessed a very dangerous flood in his district this year.
“Dozens of residential houses and agricultural fields have been destroyed in most districts of Logar. Although it is very difficult for us to return to our home area, there is no other choice as we have to start life from the beginning,” Shah Anwar said, adding that the international organizations should provide them with more aids as they don’t have any shelter to live.
Afghan economists say that there is no doubt that floods and earthquakes are two destructive phenomena that have recently killed a number of Afghans, and on the other hand, thousands of acres of land, residential houses, livestock, and roads have been damaged. They asked all non-government organizations involved in providing aids and welfare works to take necessary steps to provide aids to the recent flood-affected families in the country.
Meanwhile, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi in the fundraising conference by pointing to recent floods that have hit most provinces of the country said almost 200 people dead, 300 others wounded, 12,000 houses destroyed or damaged, more than 9,000 livestock dead and thousands of agricultural land destroyed.
Muttaqi said that during operations more than 20,000 people were rescued from flood waters and temporary shelters were provided. He said while the recent floods and earthquake in June were a challenge for the IEA, the Islamic Emirate was able to assist victims with its limited resources.
“With the help of aid organizations we have provided food and non-food items to more than 100,000 affected people across the country,” Muttaqi said, adding that the IEA also built mobile clinics and camps for the earthquake victims, and permanent shelters were built for more than 1,000 people affected by this disaster.
According to the country’s minister of foreign affairs, with the help of the WFP, the IEA was able to provide assistance to more than six million people across the country. “We called on the international community and international aid organizations to help those affected in the earthquake and flash floods. Today Afghans need your help more than any other day,” Muttaqi said, adding that the IEA’s government is newly established and put all its efforts into rescuing people and delivering aid.
Previously, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a report said that more than 100,000 people have been affected by torrential rains and flash floods across Afghanistan this year, with flooding hitting 30 of the country’s 34 provinces.
Shukria Kohistani
