60 dead, dozens missing in deadly flash flood
Over 60 people have been killed and dozens are still missing after a deadly flash flood swept away Mehrdish village in Nuristan province on Wednesday night.
Nuristan Governor Haafiz Abdul Qayum said floods swept through the village in Nuristan’s Kamdesh district on Wednesday night, completely destroying the village.
Qayum said security forces have not been able to enter the area, which is currently under Taliban control.
He said locals had however been able to rescue a number of villagers.
Meanwhile, Nuristan Provincial Council head Saadullah Payenda Zoye said the floods had washed away about 200 houses. He also said dozens of people were still missing.
He appealed to central and provincial administrations and aid agencies for urgent assistance.
The Ministry of State for Disaster Management meanwhile said the flash flood destroyed at least 60 houses and killed or injured about 100 people.
The ministry said this was an initial tally and that the casualty toll could increase.
Nuristan is a mountainous and densely forested area which is prone to floods every year, but this year, floods have had a greater impact on the local population.
Nuristan provincial MPs said the floods have left as many as 130 dead in Kamdesh district, including women and children, and that so far 40 bodies have been recovered. They also said dozens of houses and large tracts of farmland have been destroyed.
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, has called on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to base its assessments on accurate information and objective facts in response to the mission’s latest report.
Fitrat said the report described the detention of some individuals by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and other official institutions of the Islamic Emirate as “arbitrary.” However, he claimed that these detentions were carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to prevent acts deemed contrary to Sharia and to reform individuals.
The deputy spokesperson added that governments in various countries also carry out such detentions.
He also questioned why UNAMA’s report had not mentioned the efforts and achievements of various Islamic Emirate institutions in providing assistance to the public, accommodating returning migrants, preventing security threats, making political progress, and implementing major economic projects with humanitarian dimensions.
Criticizing UNAMA’s approach, Fitrat said that instead of working to bring Afghanistan and the international community closer together and resolve misunderstandings, the mission was engaged in what he described as “propaganda against the system” and seeking to portray
Afghanistan negatively. He said this approach was inconsistent with the principle of neutrality that the mission is expected to uphold.
The European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas Frellesen, has described restrictions on women and girls as a major obstacle to normalising relations between the EU and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), following a three-day visit to Kabul.
According to an EU statement issued Thursday, Frellesen visited Kabul from October 12 to 14, holding discussions with senior IEA officials, diplomats, regional partners, representatives of the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and members of Afghan civil society.
During the visit, he expressed serious concern over restrictions on women and girls, saying they remained a significant barrier to closer relations between the EU and the IEA. In a meeting with Afghan women’s civil society representatives, he also heard about the impact of the restrictions and women’s resilience in the face of these challenges.
On security, Frellesen acknowledged that conditions in Afghanistan had generally improved but warned about the continued presence and cross-border activities of terrorist groups, including Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). He stressed that the IEA must ensure Afghan territory is not used to threaten other countries.
The EU envoy also recognised the IEA’s counter-narcotics efforts but raised concern over a renewed increase in poppy cultivation. He called for sustainable alternative livelihoods for farmers affected by the ban on opium cultivation, noting that the EU was supporting such initiatives.
Frellesen urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resume dialogue to address their security concerns, emphasising the need to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The EU also welcomed regional and international mediation efforts, the OIC’s role in promoting stability, and initiatives aimed at strengthening regional connectivity.
Reaffirming the EU’s support for the UN-led Doha Process, Frellesen said coordinated international engagement and constructive participation by the IEA were essential to Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community. He also stressed the importance of inclusive governance and compliance with international obligations.
The discussions further covered continued EU assistance in healthcare, education, resilience and livelihoods, including support for Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan. Frellesen emphasised that returns should be safe, dignified and orderly, and called for greater attention to climate-related projects.
He also highlighted the importance of a resilient private sector and the preservation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.
The EU said its engagement with Afghanistan would remain principled and pragmatic, with a focus on addressing the needs of the Afghan people.
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