AFGHANISTAN: Floods kill at least 33 and leave thousands homeless

KABUL, 10 August 2006 (IRIN) - Thousands of people left homeless by flooding in the southeastern Afghan provinces of Paktika, Ghazni and Paktia need humanitarian assistance urgently, local authorities said on Thursday. The flooding, which started two weeks ago, has killed at least 33 people, officials said. They called on the government and international aid agencies to provide emergency relief to those affected. “We have only received 90 tents and 500 blankets – these cannot even meet the needs of people in one of the flood-affected districts,” Mohammad Akram Khfalwak, governor of Paktika, said from Sharan, the provincial capital. “Thousands of people are badly affected and need urgent assistance in Orgun, Gomal, Saraouza, and Gian districts,” Khfalwak said. Din Mohammad Darwish, Paktia's Information Department head, said flooding in Paktia Province had killed at least 13 people, displaced 13,000, destroyed an estimated 40,000 ha of farmland and 460 houses and killed 750 cattle. “Many of the affected villagers are in very poor conditions and are blaming government and aid organisations for ignoring them,” Darwish said. Sher Alam, governor of neighbouring Ghazni Province, said the flooding had killed at least seven, washed away 35,000 ha of farmland and destroyed 1,500 homes in 12 districts. “A lot of assistance is needed to help some 1,600 displaced families living in very harsh conditions. They have lost everything including water canals, Kanats [Karezes], wells, cattle and even gardens,” Alam said. Flooding caused by heavy rains and melting snow killed at least seven people and forced 500 families to leave their villages and houses in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan last month. Flash floods also killed at least 16 people and destroyed hundreds of houses in Baghlan and Faryab provinces on 30 April, officials said.