Afghanistan flooding kills hundreds in north

May 11 (UPI) -- Flooding in northern Afghanistan's Baghlan and Takhar provinces have forced hundreds of families from their homes and caused at least 150 deaths, Taliban and U.N. officials said Saturday.

Abdul Mateen Qani, a representative of the Interior Ministry, told the BBC that Baghlan province has seen the most deaths, with at least 131, while another 20 have died in Takhar.

The Borka district in Baghlan was particularly hard hit in the weeks of heavy rainfall, trapping more than 200 people inside their homes. Many others have lost their homes and been displaced, further worsening humanitarian needs in the region, Afghanistan's Khaama Press reported.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the ruling Taliban, called on the people of Afghanistan to assist the flood victims. Former President Hamid Karzai encouraged local charities and civilians to offer aid, as well.

On Saturday, Richard Bennett, the U.S. special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, called for immediate aid to the hard-hit areas. He said the disaster is a "stark reminder" of the country's vulnerability to climate crises.

"Both immediate help and long-term planning by the Taliban and [international] actors are needed," he said on X, formerly Twitter. "Condolences to the families of victims."

The BBC reported that flooding has closed the main road connecting the affected areas to the capital of Kabul. A drier-than-normal winter has made it difficult for the soil to absorb and drain the rainfall, causing large areas of farmland to flood.