Some 12,000 households hit by floods in northern Afghanistan, UN reports
3 June 2009 - Some 12,000 households in nine provinces in northern and north-eastern Afghanistan have been affected by floods since April, according to the latest United Nations-backed assessments.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today that another round of flooding is expected to hit the South Asian nation’s north-east, as the snow remaining on the mountains of the Kunduz sub-basin begins to melt in the coming weeks, exacerbating the situation.
Given the amount of snowfall and the Kunduz River’s rising water levels, OCHA predicts that the new floods could surpass the deadly 2005 floods in the region in both extent and duration.
Non-food relief supplies – including tents, blankets, family kits and plastic sheets – are urgently needed to meet ongoing needs, the Office noted.