BAGHLAN, Afghanistan — Save the Children reported that heavy rains and flooding on Friday have left approximately 40,000 children homeless in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan.
“Children are scared. Many have lost everything — not only their homes, but also their schools and places where they play. They have lost all that’s familiar, all routine,” said Arshad Malik, the country director for Save the Children in Afghanistan.
The floods have killed more than 330 people across Afghanistan, with the majority of deaths occurring in Baghlan and others in the provinces of Takhar, Badakhshan, and Ghor, according to the Afghanistan office of the World Food Program and local officials.
Global organizations and Afghan officials have raised concerns about the potential increase in the death toll and the spread of infectious diseases, particularly among children. The World Health Organization reported on Monday that it dispatched eight emergency response teams to the flood-stricken areas to monitor infection risks.
According to a statement from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund released Sunday, Afghanistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, experiencing an increase in extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.
