Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said this week that Russia stands ready to provide assistance to Afghanistan following the devastating floods in a number of northern provinces.

According to a statement issued by Zakharova, Moscow is ready to provide necessary assistance “in case of an appeal from Kabul”.

Heavy rains wreaked havoc on northern provinces, especially Baghlan, leaving over 300 dead and 1,600 injured.

Zakharova also conveyed sincere condolences to the Afghan people. “We sympathize with the relatives and friends of the deceased. We wish a speedy recovery to the affected,” she added.

The construction of a water canal, planned by the late Japanese doctor and aid worker Tetsu Nakamura, has been completed in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province.

Nakamura was from Japan, but had honorary citizenship of Afghanistan. He was killed in 2019.

He worked in Nangarhar for many years, focusing mainly on building water canals.

Nakamura was working hard to complete his projects, but these were suspended following his death.

Later, the projects were resumed with the help of the government of Japan.

During his time in Nangarhar, Nakamura built several health centers and carried out more than 1,600 irrigation projects, canal constructions and provision of clean water.

His greatest work was the construction of a 25-kilometer long canal from the Kunar river, which irrigates hundreds of acres of land.

He also built a recreation park, dug wells, and established agricultural research farms.

“Dr. Nakamura made 9 weirs in Kama, Shewa and Behsud districts. Thousands of acres of land are irrigated and millions of people benefit from it. All the projects planned by Nakamura have been completed,” said Ajmal Stankzai, the representative of the Nakamura Foundation.

“Nakamura would behave with a laborer like a laborer. He would take stones with us. He used to tell us that the people of every country serve their country and you should also serve the ruined Afghanistan,” said Deen Mohammad, a resident of Koz Kanar district of Nangarhar.

In Kama district, the work of Nakamura projects is ongoing. One of the projects is the construction of a secon canal from the Kunar river.

“There was a huge water problem in Kama district. Fortunately, with Nakamura’s cooperation, many lands were irrigated,” said Bashir Ahmad Kamawal, a resident of Kama district of Nangarhar.

After Nakamura’s death, now an NGO called PMS is following in his footsteps and is working to build canals and dams.

Recently, the construction of a canal in Kot district of Nangarhar was completed and inaugurated. The canal is 5 kilometers long.

“Many projects are planned and our ministry has taken care of them… We thank them for feeling the pain of Afghans and helping our country,” said Abdul Latif Mansour, Acting Minister of Energy and Water.

Tetsu Nakamura was shot and killed by unknown men in 2019 when he was going to work from Jalalabad city. It is not yet known who was behind the assassination.

A deminer died in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan’s southern Uruzgan province on Tuesday, police said.

The incident happened around 10:00 a.m. in Khurma area of provincial capital Trink Kot, said Hazrat Bilal Uruzgani, the provincial police spokesman.

Another deminer was injured in the incident, he said

Uruzgani said that the incident happened during an operation to clear the area from mines.