Afghanistan: thousands of children affected by floods

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Tens of thousands of children in Afghanistan remain affected by flash floods, particularly in the north and west of the country, according to the United Nations.

Seasonal rains, unusually heavy this year, have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, killing hundreds of people and destroying property and crops.

This disaster particularly affected children particularly in the northern provinces of Baghlan and Badakhshan and in the western province of Ghor.

At only 11 years old, Hajera speaks about her trauma.

" I come from Shaikh Jalal village in Baghlan. I was at home when our house was destroyed by the flood. Three of us survived, but my sister died. My father, my brother and I could get out of the house, but my sister died. The flood took us away, but my father survived near the street. I survived near the house of Haji Khair Mohammad. of Nazir. My sister told me to hold her hand, but I couldn't, so the flood took her away and she died. My notebooks and school books that were at home. were also washed away by the waters . Without them, I cannot continue my classes. The floods took away our house and our belongings.

Afghanistan ranks 15th out of 163 nations in UNICEF's 2021 Children's Climate Risk Index . The UN agency said the extreme weather conditions had all the hallmarks of an intensifying climate crisis.

This crisis results in “ loss of lives and destruction of livelihoods, as well as significant damage to infrastructure .”

According to the NGO Save the Children, around 6.5 million children in Afghanistan are expected to experience critical levels of hunger in 2024.