The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan said in a report on Tuesday that flash flood on 27, 28 and 29 March in Faryab, Balkh, Jawzjan, Sar-e-Pul, Herat and Badghis provinces have affected thousands of people in the country.

According to the report, heavy rains caused flash flooding in provinces of Afghanistan, while assessments are ongoing, an estimated 17,000 people have been affected with Balkh and Herat suffering the worst impacts.

“In Balkh, unconfirmed reports suggest several fatalities in Chemtal district, with up to 645 families (4,515 people) affected throughout the Province,” the report said.

Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) assessment teams have so far identified 187 families in need (49 houses completely destroyed & 138 severely damaged) in Mazar-e-Sharif, while 161 families in Solara and 297 families in Chemtal districts have been assessed as affected. Assessments in other districts are ongoing.

Reports indicate several people have died in Almar and Khwaja Sabz Posh, while a number of people also remain missing in Khwaja Sabz Posh and Pashtunkot Districts of northern Faryab province.

According to the OCHA’s initial reports, up to 450 families were affected in Dawlatabad district and there also reports of damage in Shirin Tagab district. In Qaysar district, 1,200 livestock have reportedly been killed and 10 jeribs (2 hectares) of agricultural land affected by floods.

The report added that there are also reports of damage in Darzab and Qoshtepa districts, which are inaccessible due to security concerns in Sari-e-Pul province, “a joint assessment has so far identified 155 families however road closures have limited access to other villages in the affected areas and numbers may change.”

At the meantime, the Ministry of Public Health has reported that eight people died and nine were injured in six districts of western Herat province following flash flooding, while more than 1,000 families may have been affected.

Initial reports indicate that over 200 families are affected in Qala-e-Naw, Jawand, Balamurghab, Abkamari, Mugur districts in western Badghis province.

“This new flooding adds to the impact of the overall flood emergency, with Farah and Kandahar the most affected to date,” said the OCHA adding, “Since the beginning of 2019, more than 163,000 people have now been affected by floods, including those in the past week. A total of more than 42,000 people have been displaced.”

Meanwhile, the OCHA in warns of possible flash floods during the spring season in the country.

“The conditions for more flooding through the spring remain a concern and humanitarian organizations are planning to ensure they have enough supplies for the remainder of the season,” the report noted.