Intense rainfall and the overflow of astonishing floods in the districts of Marghab and Charsada in Ghor province, besides causing casualties, have resulted in significant financial damages. Residents of these two districts of Ghor province say that the flooding has destroyed dozens of residential houses and shops. According to their claims, hundreds of acres of agricultural land have been submerged, and dozens of livestock have been perished.
Residents of the Marghab district in Ghor province report that the closure of the Marghab River route has raised concerns among them. Consequently, residents of villages including Esfarman, Juh, Jandak, Darah Takht, and Asparf, along with several others in the district, have been displaced.
Mohammad Omar, a shopkeeper in the Shoraba bazaar of Marghab district, says that all the shops have been submerged, and the flood has taken away the possessions of shopkeepers. This affected shopkeeper says: “At around 5:00 in the afternoon prayer, torrents of water flooded the market from the mountains and valleys. In my 47 years of life, I cannot recall such a flood. The flood destroyed and swept away everything in the market. In the Shoraba market, 55 shops were destroyed, and all goods were swept away, leaving nothing behind. Even the pharmacy and fuel shop were taken by the flood. In short, only the clothes on our backs remained; “everything else was swept away.”
Khalid, another resident of Marghab district, reports that the flooding has claimed the life of a child. According to him, three individuals from the village of Jandak are missing, and hundreds of residential houses have been destroyed, along with dozens of livestock perishing. Khalid adds, “Based on initial information exchanged between the people and the authorities [Taliban], 562 residential houses have been destroyed, 303 houses have been partially damaged, and 1,073 families are homeless, either because their houses have been destroyed or they were at risk of drowning.” Khalid claims that the livestock casualties are also significant, but due to people’s concerns, there are still no clues about the fate of shepherds and their herds in this area.
On the other hand, flood-affected individuals in the Marghab district of Ghor province state that despite nearly three days passing since the onset of the astonishing floods in this district, no assistance has been provided by the local Taliban administration in this district. According to them, the roads to Marghab are also blocked from the center of Ghor province.
Mohammad Sabir, the head of one of the flood-affected families in the Marghab district, criticizes the Taliban’s performance to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, saying, “If a child falls into a well in the province of Zabul or Helmand, helicopters and airplanes immediately go to that province, but here, for three consecutive days, nobody knows whether we are alive or dead.” This Marghab resident adds, “It has been three days since the roads between the villages of Marghab have been closed, and the road from Marghab to Firuzkuh City is still not open. On the other hand, more than a thousand families are homeless and have nothing, yet no assistance has been provided to us.”
Marghab is not the only district in Ghor where residents have been affected by the flooding. Residents of the Charsada district in this province also say that the floods have caused them significant damage.
Abdul Rahman, a resident of Charsada district, reports the Hasht-e Subh Daily: “The floods were extremely severe and inflicted significant damage. An elderly man lost his life due to the flood. Agricultural lands are entirely submerged, resulting in the loss of all crops. “Numerous bridges and culverts have been destroyed, greatly impacting the residents.”
However, local Taliban authorities have not provided details of flood casualties and damages in the two districts of Ghor province. Abdul Wahid Hamas, a Taliban spokesperson in Ghor, says they have held an emergency meeting to assist the flood-affected.
On the other hand, a voice recording attributed to Ahmad Shah Din Dost, the Taliban governor for this province, has surfaced, indicating his request for media coverage of the situation. In the audio, he mentions addressing people’s issues through letters to the group’s authorities and awaiting responses.
It is worth mentioning that for several days now, the western provinces of the country have witnessed heavy rains and astonishing floods. Herat, a neighboring province to Ghor, has seen floods claiming the lives of over 10 people and causing significant financial damages.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
سرازیرشدن سیلابهای مدهش در غور؛ راهها مسدود شده و کمکرسانی آغاز نشده است
