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Floods in Afghanistan’s Ghor, Faryab provinces kill dozens

Thousands of homes, hundreds of shops and thousands of acres of farmland have been destroyed in these floods and thousands of livestock have perished.

Nearly 70 people have been killed in recent floods in Ghor and Faryab provinces of Afghanistan, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported. Local officials in Ghor province have reported that 10 people are still missing, and the death toll from the floods that occurred on Friday might rise.

Thousands of homes, hundreds of shops and thousands of acres of farmland have been destroyed in these floods and thousands of livestock have perished.

Nearly 80 per cent of the city of Ferozkoh has been devastated in the floods that occurred in Ghor. Furthermore, the heavy rainfall has submerged the surroundings of the Minaret of Jam in Ghor, sparking concerns about the potential destruction of 800-year-old monument.

Taliban-appointed Ghor province’s spokesperson Abdul Wahid Hamas has said that 50 people, including women and children have died and several are missing in recent floods.

Speaking to TOLO News, Abdul Wahid Hamas said, “In these floods, fifty people, including women and children, have died, and several are missing. Two thousand houses have been completely destroyed, and more than four thousand houses have been partially damaged. Furthermore, two thousand five hundred shops in the city of Ferozkoh and the districts of this province have been destroyed.”

The districts of Shahrak, Dolina, and Tiura alongside the city of Ferozkoh have been impacted by the floods in Ghor. The main Herat-Ghor highway and roads connecting the districts to Ferozkoh have been destroyed and blocked. Homeless people have been facing difficult conditions.

Speaking to TOLO News, Nazar Mohammad, a resident of Ferozkoh city, said, “These floods have left us without clothes or a morsel of bread. I am in dire need of ten afghani. Two families lived here, and the flood destroyed both homes.”

Another resident of Ferozkoh Abdul Hai said that his orchard, home and livelihood “are all gone and nothing is left intact.” He further said, “Nothing is left intact, and even our food has been taken by the flood. The floods have destroyed the wells, and we have no drinking water.”

As many as 18 people have died in the deadly floods in Faryab province and caused financial losses to residents of Faryab and Sar-e Pol provinces, according to TOLO News report.

Taliban-appointed Faryab governor’s spokesperson Esamatullah Moradi said, “The severe flood that hit Faryab province mainly affected the districts of Belcheragh, Pashtun Kot, Khwaja Sabz Posh, Qaisar, and Almar, causing significant financial losses to the local residents. Eighteen people have been martyred, and two have been injured in these floods.”

Taliban-appointed Sar-e Pol Governor’s spokesperson Habibullah Masroor said, “In the villages of Khawal and Qala Shahr in the Kohistanat district, more than 60 residential houses have been either destroyed or partially damaged. Dozens of shops and hundreds of acres of agricultural land have been destroyed,” the report said.

Recent floods in many parts of Afghanistan, particularly Ghor, have been unprecedented. On Saturday, Taliban-led Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has announced that the provinces of Panjshir, Nuristan, Kunar, Kapisa, Parwan, Bamiyan, Faryab, Jawzjan, Herat, Farah, Ghor, Badghis, Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan and Samangan will experience heavy rainfall and potential flooding on Sunday. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Curbs on Afghan girls will increase child marriages by 25%’

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‘Curbs on Afghan girls will increase child marriages by 25%’

Balkh Aug. 8, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on Aug. 6, 2020 shows the reflection of an Afghan bride in a mirror during a collective wedding party in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of the northern Balkh province, Afghanistan. At a rare social event 82 couples held a collective wedding party in a local hotel in Mazar-i-Sharif city on Thursday, organizer and supporter Zahra Amiri said. The aim of collective marriage, according to Amiri, is to avoid splendid wedding parties to save money for married families to run their daily life after marriage. (Photo by Kawa Basharat/Xinhua/IANS)

Currently, 82 per cent of Afghan women consider their mental health to be bad, according to the joint brief by UN Women, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

United Nations agencies have said that the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women and girls will increase the number of child marriages among Afghan girls by 25 per cent, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.

UN Women, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) have released a joint two-page brief. In the brief, the UN agencies have highlighted the issues faced by Afghan women and their demands of the international community.

According to the two-page brief, the continuation of restrictions by Taliban on women and girls will impact child marriages by an increase of 25 per cent, increase early childbearing by 45 per cent, increase the risk of maternal mortality by 50 per cent. Currently, 82 per cent of Afghan women consider their mental health to be bad, according to the brief.

It further noted that Afghanistan is the only nation in the world that bans girls from studying in schools beyond the sixth class. Moreover, Afghan women have been banned from attending university, according to TOLO News report.

According to the joint brief released by UN agencies, Afghan women have not given up fighting for their right to live life with dignity despite the restrictions imposed on them by Taliban.

Afghan girls attend a class at a local school in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh province, Afghanistan, Sept. 14, 2021. (Photo by Kawa Basharat/Xinhua/IANS)

The brief said, “Afghan women are still forming civil society organizations, still running businesses, and still providing services to their communities; most importantly, Afghan women have continued to find ways to make their demands to the international community clear.”

In the brief, UN Women, IOM and the UNAMA have said that Afghan women have urged international community to remain focused on the situation in Afghanistan and restore the rights of women, including the rights to education and work, TOLO News reported.

UN Women, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in the brief said that Afghan women ask the international community to remain focused on the situation in Afghanistan and to restore women’s rights, including the rights to education and work, in addition to women’s participation in public decision-making.

Meanwhile, a number of analysts stated that the world does not have a policy to address these restrictions. Nesar Ahmad Sherzai, a political analyst, stressed that forced marriages can be considered a very small part of the obstacles preventing girls from continuing their educaation

“Forced marriages can be considered a very small part of the obstacles preventing girls from continuing their education, but what the United Nations Women’s Section claims is not like that. The main and significant obstacles to girls’ education are known by the United Nations, credible international institutions, and major powers, but they are wasting time. They do not have fundamental and principled work in hand to remove these limitations from the girls and women of Afghanistan,” TOLO News quoted Nesar Ahmad Sherzai as saying.

Soraya Paikan, a women’s rights activist, said, “Now that school and education have been restricted for girls and they have been deprived, families are once again forcing their daughters into marriage against the principles and civil law of Afghanistan, which sets the minimum age of marriage for girls at 16,” TOLO News reported.

Earlier, several nations, including the US called for the lifting of bans against women in Afghanistan and stated that Taliban will not be formally recognised until the women’s rights are observed. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Afghanistan Floods: Death Toll Rises to 17

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Afghanistan Floods: Death Toll Rises to 17

The official said that women and children were among the victims….reports Asian Lite News

Death toll due to fresh rounds of rainstorms and flooding in Afghanistan’s Faryab and the neighbouring Sari Pul province over the past two days mounted to 17, local officials said on Saturday.

In the Lawlash district of the Faryab province, 12 people have lost their lives, and 11 others sustained injuries due to downpours and flash floods since Friday, provincial government spokesman Esmatullah Muradi said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The official said that women and children were among the victims.

Similarly, the natural disaster has left four women and a child dead in the Sari Pul province over the past two days, spokesman for the provincial government Habibullah Masror has confirmed.

Heavy rains and flash floods have killed hundreds, destroyed thousands of houses, and rendered thousands more homeless over the past month in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

ALSO READ: Afghanistan’s Ghor ravaged by deadly flash floods

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Afghanistan’s Ghor ravaged by deadly flash floods

Over 50 dead, approximately 2,500 families, residential homes covering hundreds of hectares of agricultural land and orchards, and hundreds of bridges, culverts, and retaining walls were destroyed….reports Asian Lite News

At least 50 people, including women and children, lost their lives in the Ghor province of Afghanistan following devastating floods in the region, Khaama Press News Agency reported on Saturday.

Local authorities in Ghor stated that due to flash floods triggered by heavy rains in the region on Friday, approximately 2,500 families, residential homes covering hundreds of hectares of agricultural land and orchards, and hundreds of bridges, culverts, and retaining walls in various areas of Ghor province have been destroyed.

Thousands of livestock have perished, and tens of vehicles have been swept away by the floods.

Local officials in Ghor continue to state that, including the Ghor-Herat highway, transportation routes to most districts in this province have been blocked, Khaama Press reported.

Flash flooding has wreaked havoc in Baghlan province and several other provinces across Afghanistan. The rapid onset of floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, has resulted in significant loss of life and property damage in Baghlan and other areas.

Reports indicate that floods have destroyed homes and infrastructure, and transport routes have been blocked, leaving communities isolated and in urgent need of assistance, Khaama Press reported.

Local authorities, alongside national relief efforts, are mobilizing resources to provide aid to affected areas. However, challenges persist due to the scale and intensity of the flooding.

On May 16, Pope Francis urged the international community to help the flood victims in Afghanistan, Vatican News reported.

During the general audience, Pope Francis said he was praying for the victims, particularly the children and their families.

In the past few days, at least 300 people have been killed in flooding in 18 districts across at least three provinces in northern Afghanistan. According to the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP), hundreds more have been injured, and it is believed that many people remain buried in the mud. (ANI)

Spanish tourists among 4 killed in armed attack in Afghanistan

At least four people, including three foreigners, were killed, and seven others were injured in an armed attack in Bamyan province of Afghanistan, as reported by Khaama Press News Agency, citing the spokesperson of the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Interior.

Spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani shared that four individuals have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in the attack and out of seven injured, three are foreigners.

Abdul Mateen Qani added that four individuals suspected of involvement in this attack have been arrested.

As of now, no individual or organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Qani condemned this attack on his social media platform X and said the perpetrators would be arrested and punished, Khaama Press reported.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban did not say anything about the identities of the foreign citizens targeted.

Later on, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the three individuals killed on Friday were Spanish citizens. At least one Spanish national was also among those injured, Al Jazeera reported.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on social media that he was “overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan”, offering his condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

Sanchez also said he was following the situation closely and pledged consular support.

“Overwhelmed by the news of the murder of Spanish tourists in Afghanistan. I follow the situation punctually. The Consular Emergency Unit of @MAECgob is working to offer all the necessary assistance. I want to convey all my affection to his family and friends,” he posted on X.

However, according to the local people the attack on Friday in Bamyan, four foreign tourists and their driver were killed, and eight ordinary individuals, including a driver, were injured. The report added that the foreign tourists were likely citizens of Russia.

According to several reports, ISIS has been active in Afghanistan, particularly in certain regions where it has sought to establish a presence and carry out its extremist agenda, Khaama Press reported.

Despite the Taliban’s control over much of the country, ISIS has continued to pose a significant security threat through its insurgent activities, including targeted attacks on civilians, security forces, and infrastructure.

The group’s tactics often involve suicide bombings, assassinations, and intimidation, aiming to destabilize the region and undermine the authority of the Taliban.

However, despite efforts to combat ISIS, the group continues to carry out attacks, highlighting the persistent security threats faced by Afghanistan and the difficulties in achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. (ANI)

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High-Level Talks Between Russia and India on Afghanistan

Zamir Kabulovh’s visit to the national capital comes just two days after India and Iran signed a 10-year agreement on Chabahar port…reports Asian Lite News

Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, held talks with J.P. Singh, Joint Secretary for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran in the Ministry of External Affairs, here on Wednesday.

Kabulov is the Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan and also the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department.

Interestingly, his visit to the national capital comes just two days after India and Iran signed a 10-year agreement on Chabahar port which the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to include in the framework of the multilateral International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project.

Late last month, Kabulov travelled to Kabul to hold meetings with the interim senior leadership of Afghanistan, including Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Kabir, Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Acting Minister of Interior Affairs, Sirajuddin Haqqani.

A seasoned diplomat with a firm grip over the affairs in the region, Singh too was in Kabul in the first week of March to hold talks with Muttaqi, including on India-Afghanistan relations and economic transit matters.

It is pertinent to mention that besides working on maintaining peace in the region, India remains keen to expand trade with the Central Asian countries, Russia, and beyond through the Chabahar port in Iran which has played a key role in enhancing regional connectivity.

India has also used the port to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, especially to Afghanistan during the Covid-19 pandemic by shipping tonnes of wheat and pulses to Kabul via the Shahid Beheshti Terminal.

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Death Toll Rises As Flash Floods Lash Afghanistan

United Nations International Organization for Migration as saying that over 200 people were killed and thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged in Baghlan.

The death toll in storms and flash floods in north Afghanistan’s Baghlan and Takhar provinces rose to 150, local officials said.

In Baghlan, the natural mishap hit Gozargah-e-Noor, Jelgah, Nahrin, Baghlan-e-Markazi and Barka districts, as well as the provincial capital of Pul-e-Khumri, Hedayatullah Hamdard, provincial director for the disaster management authority, said Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, foreign media quoted the United Nations International Organization for Migration as saying that over 200 people were killed and thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged in Baghlan.

Storms and floods also killed 20 people and injured 14 in Namak Ab, Ishkamish, Farkhar and Kafgan districts of Takhar province, Ahmad Sir Sajid, head of Takhar’s disaster management authority, said Saturday.

He added that 300 houses, along with electricity and communications facilities, were seriously damaged.

Afghanistan has been experiencing heavy rain and floods in the past month. Storms and floods also hit most parts of other northern provinces, including Badakhshan and Samangan, leading to casualties and property damage.

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Afghanistan Floods Claim 10 Lives

Heavy rains and flash floods killed seven people in Herat province…reports Asian Lite News

At least 10 people were killed in western Afghanistan due to a new round of heavy rains and flash floods over the past couple of days, officials said on Sunday.

Heavy rains and flash floods killed seven people in Herat province over the past couple of days, provincial director for the disaster management authority Musa Ashhari confirmed, Xinhua news agency reported.

Similarly, the rainstorms and flooding claimed one life in Herat’s neighbouring Farah province and two in Ghor province over the period, local officials said.

Storms and floods had killed more than 70 people and injured about 50 others elsewhere in Afghanistan in April.

Further details are awaited.

ALSO READ: UN voices concern about media curbs in Afghanistan

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UN voices concern about media curbs in Afghanistan

The UNHRC special rapporteur said the UN is concerned about “increasingly restrictive media climate and the arbitrary arrest of journalists.”…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has expressed concern about the surge in restrictions on media in Afghanistan, according to TOLOnews.

On World Press Freedom Day, Bennett emphasised the importance of media in Afghanistan and urged for worldwide support for journalists.

The UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan remarked, “Journalism in Afghanistan is critical. I’m concerned about the increasingly restrictive media climate and the arbitrary arrest of journalists. I encourage the international community to help Afghan journalists.”

Karen B. Decker, American Charge d’Affaires to Afghanistan emphasised the significance of hearing journalists’ voices in separate messages.

Karen Decker said: “Afghan journalists are Afghan voices amplifying Afghan messages. They need to be heard. This World Press Freedom Day, we stand united in protecting press freedom worldwide.”

Citing Mohammad Raqib Fayaz, a journalist, TOLOnews said, “The media play a very important role in securing governmental reforms, maintaining order, and eradicating societal irregularities.”

“Meetings of consonance between journalists and officials should be created, and in due time, officials should provide information to journalists,” another journalist said.

This comes as Afghanistan has dropped 26 places in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index owing to journalist fatalities and arrests, placing 178th overall.

Pakistan

While observing World Press Freedom Day, media bodies voiced concerns over the state of free media in Pakistan, with a focus particularly on mainstream media and social media restrictions during election days, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) has committed to continue the constitutional and legal struggle for freedom of expression in Pakistan and face unfavourable circumstances head-on.

In a statement, AEMEND said that journalists and media outlets in Pakistan face severe challenges, as state and non-state actors have been placing restrictions on television programmes, shutting down broadcasts, pressing for the termination of journalists, creating unnecessary pressures, and making illegal demands.

AEMEND said, “Such tactics are increasing by the day,” adding, “Character assassination of journalists, especially women journalists, is part of this campaign, and political party workers are also part of such malicious campaigns,” according to Dawn report.

It said these tactics are aimed to suppress journalists and restrict freedom of expression. AEMEND further said that illegal restrictions on social media, sending notices to journalists and other institutions, shutting down mobile phone and internet services on important occasions, restricting the coverage of targeted political and non-political activities and the issuance of illegal notices by PEMRA are actions taken to deprive people of their right to information, which it stressed is against the spirit of democratic societies.

In its South Asia Press Freedom Report, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that four journalists were murdered and women journalists in Pakistan faced harassment online and offline.

The IFJ further said, “Pakistan’s women journalists faced similar harassment both online and offline; they are in a minority, and their voices are unheard,” Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, the Freedom Network has released its annual Pakistan Freedom of Expression and Media Report 2024 titled as “Erosion of free speech: The silencing of citizens, political parties, and media.”

In the report, it highlighted Pakistan’s socio-political-legal and media industry-related factors and developments affecting the freedom of expression by the people and media, according to Dawn report.

On May 3, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called on the government to ensure fair treatment to journalists and protect them, stated a press release from the organisation.

In a statement, HRCP demanded that the government should ensure fair and timely remuneration for journalists and media workers, develop mechanisms to protect against attacks, hold accountable those responsible for their illegal detention, and protect the right to freedom of expression.

the HRCP raised concerns over recent threats given to Hamid Mir for advocating free speech. The same statement claimed that the state and law enforcement agencies have taken no steps to hold the perpetrators accountable.

The HRCP demanded that “such oppressive and heinous tactics must stop. Freedom of the press, which is considered the fourth pillar of the state, is indispensable for the stability of a healthy democracy.

It said that the state must demonstrate its commitment to protecting the freedom of the press, and ensure the rights to life, job security, freedom of expression, and fair wages for all journalists and media workers, especially dissidents. (ANI)

Anti-Taliban protests enter second day in Badakhshan

The anti-Taliban protests in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan’s Darayim district entered its second day on Saturday as the residents expressed concern over the detention of these five community leaders, according to Khaama Press.

The residents claim that the Taliban took five community leaders in order to discuss the demands put forth by protesters, however now their fate remains unknown.

Anti-Taliban protests in Darayim, Badakhshan, began on Friday, May 3; according to Badakhshan villagers, after the initial protests, Taliban fighters resorted to firing at the people to quell them, killing at least one person. Protesters reported that after this individual’s death, Darayim residents continued their march, according to Khaama Press.

According to the Khaama Press report, demonstrations started after Taliban fighters invaded the housing area with the intention of burning poppy fields but instead “molested women in their homes.”

Local Taliban authorities confirmed that one person was killed in these protests.

Meanwhile, several videos circulating online showcased protesters in Badakhshan saying they do not want the Taliban’s “Islamic Emirate” in this province.

Furthermore, demonstrators in Darayim, Badakhshan, claim that Taliban members harass and threaten the residents of this district, street by street and home by house.

According to one demonstrator, the Taliban violate the “honour, religion, and privacy” of the people.

These demonstrators accuse the Taliban of destroying people’s houses and inflicting oppression and injustice on them.

As of now, Taliban leaders in Kabul have not responded to the demonstrators in Badakhshan’s Darayim area. (ANI)

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US stresses necessity of direct talks with Taliban

Their history of human rights violations, particularly their treatment of women and girls, restrictions on education, and reintroduction of harsh punishments, has elicited widespread condemnation…reports Asian Lite News

The US State Department has defended its decision to engage in dialogue with the Taliban, asserting that such communication serves both Washington’s interests in Afghanistan and the broader regional context.

Vedant Patel, the department’s principal deputy spokesperson, emphasised that engaging with the Taliban not only advances US interests but also aligns with the welfare of the Afghan populace.

The Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces and the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government has prompted international scrutiny.

Their history of human rights violations, particularly their treatment of women and girls, restrictions on education, and reintroduction of harsh punishments, has elicited widespread condemnation.

Despite concerns that dialogue with the Taliban might confer legitimacy upon them, Patel underscored the necessity of direct communication.

He highlighted that engaging with the group enables the US to advocate for the immediate release of US nationals, including those wrongfully detained. Additionally, dialogue facilitates discussions on the Taliban’s commitments to counterterrorism efforts, with a continued focus on human rights.

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Breather for Afghan refugees in Pakistan

The decision was taken following the federal cabinet meeting held at the Pakistan PM House under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif….reports Asian Lite News

The Pakistan government on Friday extended the validity of the Afghan refugees’ Proof of Registration Cards (PoRs) that expired on April 1 this year, to June 30, 2024, to facilitate those who have yet not left Pakistan voluntarily as it presses ahead with its push to boot out illegal foreigners, Geo News reported citing a statement.

The decision was taken following the federal cabinet meeting held at the Pakistan PM House under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The cabinet was told that this extension would enable the PoR cardholders to have access to schools, bank accounts, and other facilities during their stay in Pakistan.

It must be noted that these PoR cardholders will be forcibly sent back to their country in the third phase of the programme of repatriation of illegal foreign nationals living in Pakistan for ages.

Pakistan has expelled over half a million undocumented refugees in the repatriation programme’s first phase from November 1 till date. The second phase was aimed at driving out refugees holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), Geo News reported.

The ACCs were provided by the Pakistan government to Afghan refugees in 2017, after processing and registering them with Pakistan’s National Database and Regulation Authority (NADRA).

On the advice of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the federal cabinet approved the establishment of an additional special court in Makran Division to deal with anti-narcotics cases in Balochistan province, Geo News reported.

The jurisdiction of this special court will be extended to the districts of Panjgur, Kech, Gwadar, Hub and Lasbela. The cabinet also directed the authorities to appoint the best judge in the special court and ensure effective prosecution.

Moreover, during the meeting, the Federal Secretary for the Interior briefed the cabinet on the progress of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) operations.

The Secretary of Aviation, filled in the meeting on the recent measures taken to improve the facilities at Pakistan’s airports, particularly Lahore and Karachi. The meeting was informed that the service counters at the airports had been increased and the facilities were being upgraded, Geo News reported.

The meeting was told that the advertisements inviting expressions of interest were published in national and international newspapers on April 2, with the last date being May 3, and so far several companies had expressed keen interest in PIA.

The meeting also gave the go-ahead to the appointments of four ex-officio members of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (ICMA) and approved the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases on April 18, 2024. (ANI)

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