The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Natural disasters killed 679 people and injured 1,634 others across Afghanistan over the past year, damaging tens of thousands of homes and affecting nearly 45,000 families, the Taliban-run National Disaster Preparedness and Response Authority said.
In a report released to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the authority said 44,918 families had been affected by natural disasters during the period.
The disasters caused extensive damage to housing, agriculture and public infrastructure. According to the report, 4,470 houses were completely destroyed and another 17,664 were partially damaged.
The authority also reported that 496 shops were completely destroyed and 397 others were partially damaged. In addition, 101 mosques, 28 schools and three health centers were destroyed.
Damage to infrastructure included 3,808 springs and canals, 1,746 kilometers (about 1,085 miles) of roads, 95 electricity networks and 195 bridges and culverts, the report said.
Agriculture also suffered significant losses. The authority said crops on 72,874 jeribs of farmland were destroyed, along with trees in orchards covering 10,438 jeribs. A jerib is a traditional unit of land measurement used in Afghanistan, equivalent to about one-fifth of a hectare.
The report also listed 6,856 solar panels as damaged or destroyed.
The authority did not provide a breakdown of casualties or damage by province or type of disaster.
Afghanistan is vulnerable to natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, droughts and landslides. Such events can compound existing humanitarian needs and damage livelihoods, particularly in communities with limited resources and infrastructure.
