Thousands await aid as floods swamp Kunduz

KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Thousands of families who lost their houses and livelihood to a swollen Amu River in northern Kunduz province are awaiting government’s assistance.

Thousands of dwelling homes built on the river’s bankments making 32 villages in the Imam Sahib district were washed away in the torrents of water unleashed by the overflowing Amu River due to heavy downpours last week.

“We lost our agriculture farms and houses to the flash floods. It happens every year,” said Jilani, a resident of Barzangi village. “The affected families need food items and potable water,” he said, claiming the disaster left thousands of people homeless and carried away crops grown over 1.5 acres of land in their village.

The villager added a total of 500 acres of agriculture land had been affected in the district, asking the government to provide the families with the much needed assistance.

Sher Ali, a resident of a nearby But Kashan village, said: “Thirty homes in our village were completely destroyed. Now I am without a house. I have to build another.”

Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) head for Kunduz, Mir Aqa Etbar said approximately 1,700 families lived in the disaster-hit villages.

“About 1,070 houses were destroyed in the Imam Sahib district, taking the number of families affected in the town to 2,200,” he said.

The affected would be delivered food and other essential supplies soon, promised the ANDMA official, who revealed each family will be given 200 kilograms of wheat and 50 kg of rice in aid.

mm/ma

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