Nine Killed, 74 Injured In Recent Natural Disasters In Afghanistan - Disaster Management

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2023) The recent earthquake, heavy rains and floods in Afghanistan have hit 23 out of 34 provinces of the country, killing nine people and injuring 74 others, Hasibullah Sheikhani, a spokesman for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Unfortunately, nine people died and 74 others sustained injuries," Sheikhani said, adding that 1,700 houses had been completely or partly destroyed.

The list of the Afghan provinces most affected by the natural disasters includes Farah, Faryab, Balkh, Uruzgan, Kunar, Nuristan, Laghman, and Baghlan, the spokesman told Sputnik.

At the same time, Sheikhani said that thanks to the cooperation of humanitarian organizations, including international institutions, 53,000 families in Afghanistan had received humanitarian assistance.

Earlier this week, a powerful earthquake hit the Hindu Kush mountains, most of which are located in Afghanistan, the European Mediterranean Seismological Center said. The quake hit Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, killing at least 13 people and injuring around 100 others in the two countries in total. In addition to the deadly earthquake, Afghanistan also faced heavy rains and devastating floods this week.