Over 20 die in flooding

The Afghan government announced on Thursday that at least 20 people had been reported dead following serious flooding and landslides in the Panjshir valley in the eastern province of Parvan this week. "Over 20 people are reported to have died, while many houses are destroyed," Sultan Ebadi, the director of the Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODP), told IRIN. According to the ODP, the flood was the result of a massive landslide, which destroyed a large dam in the valley. "Our teams are in the area, but unfortunately no assistance has been provided to the victims' families," Ebadi said, noting that the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development had sent some tents, but these had yet to arrive. Kabul television reported on Wednesday night that 30 people were dead and 400 cattle had perished as a result of this flooding. According to Jawid Ahmad, a resident of the valley, the situation in the flood-hit area remains unclear and many people are missing. "It is the third day, but no assistance has reached us yet," he told IRIN, noting that the district was only 80 km north of Kabul. In early July, serious flooding in southern and northeastern provinces of Afghanistan left more than 100 dead and many more missing. Even more people were feared to have been killed by serious mudslides which recently hit the Shibar district of the central Bamian Province.