47 dead in heavy rain, floods in northern Afghanistan, official says

KABUL — At least 47 people have died after continued heavy rain and flooding in northern Afghanistan, an official said on Sunday (May 19), a day after a similar number were killed in a central province.

Shamsudden Mohammedi, head of the information department for Faryab province in the north, told Reuters at least 300 hundred houses were destroyed, based on initial reports.

On Saturday, at least 50 died in the central province of Ghor, said Mawlawi Abdul Hai Zaeem, the head of the province's information department.

Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters, and the United Nations considers it one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Last week, flash floods caused by heavy rains devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 and injuring more than 1,600, authorities said on Sunday.

On Wednesday, a helicopter used by the Afghan air force crashed due to "technical issues" during attempts to recover the bodies of people who had fallen into a river in Ghor province, killing one and injuring 12, the defence ministry said.

Afghanistan has faced a shortfall in aid after the Taliban took over as foreign forces withdrew in 2021. Development aid, which formed the backbone of government finances, was slashed.

The shortfall has worsened in subsequent years as foreign governments grapple with competing global crises and growing condemnation of the Taliban's curbs on Afghan women.

50 dead in heavy rain, floods in central Afghanistan, official says