JAKARTA - At least 20 people have died in flash floods in central Afghanistan over the past 48 hours, a disaster management official said Monday, with torrential rains destroying thousands of homes and destroying farmland.
Afghanistan has been hit by successive natural disasters this year, including a drought and a major earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people in June.
"Twenty people died, 35 people were injured due to flooding in Logar province," said Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, spokesman for Afghanistan's disaster management authority.
Meanwhile, unofficial reports put the number of victims much higher.
The Taliban government, which took over the country in August 2021, has struggled to cope with the natural disaster and has called for international help.
"We call on the international community, especially Islamic countries and humanitarian organizations, to immediately help the victims," Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a video message posted on social media.
Meanwhile, global humanitarian agencies have been providing assistance for months. But they warn more access and funds are needed to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe, with thousands of people homeless and no access to shelter or clean drinking water.
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