A joint rapid needs assessment team led by Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Agency (ANDMA), the Afghan Red Crescent Society and IOM has been deployed to 17 villages in Kabul province’s Surobi district following flash floods triggered by heavy rain.

The IOM assessment released yesterday (5/8) showed that 519 families were affected. Some 30 people are confirmed dead, two injured and 22 are still missing. 458 houses were completely destroyed, while 61 were damaged. There is also a significant amount of agricultural damage. In all the villages, wells were contaminated and a large number of livestock were washed away.

As part of its country-wide Humanitarian Assistance Programme, IOM and CARE International will tomorrow (7/8) start to distribute emergency shelter and non-food relief items in the affected villages.

Meanwhile the government is coordinating cash assistance from a number of individual private donors wishing to contribute to the response. The cash assistance is being prioritized to families who have lost family members.

“This tragedy demonstrates the need to strengthen flood mitigation measures in vulnerable locations. Together with other disaster risk reduction interventions, this is a priority for IOM in Afghanistan and will become an increasingly important part of our work here,” said IOM Afghanistan Chief of Mission Richard Danziger.

For more information please contact Ivan Ceko, IOM Kabul, Email: iceko@iom.int, Tel: +93 702 527 851