MOSCOW, August 3 (Sputnik) - At least 42 people died and about 56 were injured in the devastating flash floods across Afghanistan over the past week, with homes and critical infrastructure damaged, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Wednesday.
"NRC’s assessment of the impact of flash floods indicates that over the past week across nine provinces 42 people lost their lives and 56 were critically injured; 1,720 houses were destroyed; 3,073 houses were damaged; 790 acres of agricultural land was destroyed; 444 tube wells were inundated; 12 wheat mills were destroyed; 28 bridges collapsed; more than 5 km [3 miles] of roads were damaged," the NRC said in a statement.
NRC Country Director in Afghanistan Neil Turner raised concerns regarding food insecurity caused by poor harvests and the possibility of another wave of poverty and displacement.
"The situation in rural Afghanistan was already critical before the flooding. The economic crisis following the Taliban takeover last year has pushed many farmers into severe debt, as they struggle to pay for the seeds and fertilizer to plant this season. With their crops wiped away and winter just around the corner, these communities have zero time to recover," Turner said.
Over 24 million people, more than half of Afghans, are in need of humanitarian assistance for survival, which is an increase of 30% year-on-year.
The NRC added that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations listed Afghanistan in the top six countries with the populations identified to experience starvation of death, requiring the most urgent attention.