A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
In late night of 28 July 2021 (Wednesday), massive flash floods, triggered by heavy rain, occurred in Mirdesh village in Kamdesh district in Nuristan province – eastern part of Afghanistan. As per the initial field reports, around 150 lives are lost with 113 dead bodies found as of 31 July 2021 – others were still missing. Around 300 residential houses are impacted with 200 houses fully damaged. One public bridge and four small bridges are also damaged. The water also swept away cattle, destroyed agricultural lands and also demolished a large part of a road in Kamdesh district.
A devastating flood has affected Afghanistan, in general, and Nuristan province in particular, is already grappling with complex humanitarian emergencies such as escalating conflict, a devastating new wave of COVID-19 and crippling poverty. COVID-19 cases in the country have steadily risen since mid-May 2021, with compounding socio-economic impacts. Moreover, the years of conflict and instability have caused livelihood disruption and displacements. Despite ongoing peace talks, this has not yet translated into a sustained reduction in violence. In the first half of 2021, an estimated 140,691 people have been displaced due to armed clashes. Click here to see the map of affected area.