Flash floods in Afghanistan kill at least 34

Flooding in the northern and central parts of the country damage property, agricultural land.

KABUL: Flash floods caused by heavy rain in the past week have killed at least 34 people in several Afghan provinces and caused serious damage to property and livestock, officials said on Tuesday.

The flooding, hitting provinces mainly in the north and centre of the country, had caused serious damage to around 900 houses, killed hundreds of cattle and damaged agricultural land, said Hashmat Khan Bahaduri, the spokesperson for the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA). "Officials are assessing damage," he added.

The floods, that came after an unusually dry winter that has led to drought in many areas, underline Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters.

The rugged mountainous terrain and the lack of roads mean it is often difficult to evaluate relief needs but ANDMA had sufficient resources to deal with the problem for now, said Bahaduri.