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Opinion | Why China should step up aid to Afghanistan
- The Taliban has been accused of being slow to act on deadly flash floods that have killed over 300 people and left 40,000 children homeless
- Also vulnerable to climate change, China can share its experience in mitigating floods with Afghanistan and increase aid to help the country rebuild
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Afghanistan is facing another setback. This time, natural disasters are taking lives and destroying communities, leading to accusations that the Taliban is incapable – or unwilling – to solve problems. If the Taliban is serious about governing Afghanistan, it must find help.
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Heavy rains have caused devastating floods in northern Afghanistan, ripping through towns and villages and sweeping away homes. Baghlan province has been the hardest hit, with the World Food Programme saying over 300 people have been killed.
Flooding has also been reported in Badakhshan, Ghor and Herat provinces. The main road between Kabul to northern Afghanistan is reportedly closed, impeding relief efforts.
Arshad Malik, Afghanistan director of the humanitarian non-governmental organisation Save the Children, has said that “lives and livelihoods have been washed away” and “children have lost everything”. According to the NGO, 40,000 children are now homeless. The number of dead and displaced is expected to rise over the coming days before floodwaters ease.
Only last month, floods killed dozens of people in Afghanistan, leaving thousands of people in need of humanitarian assistance. Last July, flash flooding affected an estimated 6,000 people across eight provinces, killing 40 and injuring 30.
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A combination of dry plains and propensity for intense rainfall makes Afghanistan especially vulnerable to climate change, meaning the country will increasingly swing between drought and flooding.
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