At least 315 people have lost their lives, thousands of homes were damaged and livestock wiped out during the recent flash floods caused by heavy rain in northern Afghanistan.

Taliban authorities announced that over 1,600 people were wounded and the villagers buried their dead and aid agencies scrambling to help the survivors. “The death toll has exceeded 300, and sadly, we expect this number to rise. The flood has also destroyed more than 2,000 homes,” the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on X.

Most of the casualties were reported in the northern Baghlan province where the floods destroyed 3,000 homes, damaged farmland, and washed away livestock. People are in desperate need as the deadly flood also damaged health centers.

Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar had visited Baghlan and met with the victims. He called on the aid organizations and the traders to help the affected people and the residents are in a deep shock as they buried dozens of bodies. The most of the victims are from Nahrin district

We have not food and no drinking water 

“We have no food, no drinking water and no shelter or blankets,” said Najibullah, who has lost nine members of his family. Three children are among the casualties.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that heavy rainfall and flash floods affected 21 districts across Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Takhar provinces.

At least 73 people have lost their lives and 76 others were wounded in Baghlani Jadid district where 1,500 houses have been damaged or destroyed. “In Burka district, 70 deaths and 150 injuries have been confirmed, along with damage to 5,000 homes. Elsewhere, 13 deaths were reported across Dahnai Ghori,  Guzargah Noor, Jelga, Narin and Puli Khumri districts where 1,612 homes were reportedly destroyed or damaged. A further 603 homes were reported as such in Khost and Tala wa Barfak  districts,” it said in a statement.

Afghan relatives offer prayers during a burial ceremony, near the graves of victims who lost their lives following flash floods after heavy rainfall at a village in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of Baghlan province.

At least 24 people were reportedly killed across Chall, Ishkamish, Farkhar and Namak Ab districts in Takhar province, with 14 injured and a further seven missing. More than one hundred homes were also reportedly destroyed or damaged – the vast majority in Chall and Ishkamish districts.

Baghlan, Badakhshan and Takhar provinces are affected the most

In Badakhshan province, Teshkan district has been the most affected with 200 homes, 50 bridges and 30 electricity dams destroyed or damaged and 2,000 animals killed.

“With every beat of our hearts, we feel the deep sorrow that’s befallen Baghlan and all of Afghanistan. In this tragic time, our spirits reach out to embrace the families in mourning,” the International Labour Organization (ILIO) covering Afghanistan said in X.

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, said that “recent floods in Afghanistan including Baghlan which claimed many lives, are a stark reminder of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the climate crisis and both immediate aid and long term planning by the Taliban and international actors are needed”.

Recent floods are stark reminder of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the climate crisis 

Indrika Ratwatte, deputy special representative of UNAMA for Afghanistan said that the country has remained amongst the world’s top 10 climate impacted countries while having no significant carbon footprint. “Climate shocks continue to ravage vulnerable communities. Urgent support for climate adaptation and mitigation for the people of Afghanistan is a critical need,” he added.

He furthered that Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) will remain the main funding platform for providing life saving humanitarian assistance to millions. The international community needs to step up and support this critical lifeline for the people of Afghanistan, he added.

At the same time the World Health Organization’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that WHO and its partners have deployed 17 mobile health teams to assist flood victims in Afghanistan.

In a post on X, Tedros emphasized that the recent floods resulted in more than 300 deaths and caused extensive damage to homes and health facilities.

“We are providing essential medicines and medical supplies to the affected communities,” he added.

According to a report by Ragıp Soylu of the British news agency Middle East Eye, citing Israeli sources, Israel has started to gradually send its diplomats back to Turkey as of this month.

After 7 October, Israel, which began attacks in Gaza and faced fierce protests in the countries of the region as the intensity of its attacks increased, withdrew all its diplomats in the region, including Turkey, for security reasons.

Israeli sources told Middle East Eye that Israel began returning its diplomats from Turkey earlier this month, six months after withdrawing them. According to the report, a Turkish official confirmed that Israeli diplomats had returned to their posts.

The report noted that Israel’s move to repatriate the diplomats came after Ankara completely cut off trade with Israel.

Turkey and Israel had downgraded their diplomatic relations to the level of charge d’affaires, reducing diplomatic and political contacts to zero, due to tensions that began in 2018 when the US recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

However, last year, in line with the main trend in the region, steps were taken to normalise relations and reciprocal ambassadors were appointed. 7 October and the subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza interrupted this trend.

In the first days after 7 October, Turkey adopted a more balanced discourse, but after Israel’s attack on the Al-Ahli hospital, Turkey began to harden its tone. Erdoğan accused Israel, which he blamed for the attack, of carrying out attacks ‘bordering on genocide’.

Israeli diplomats serving in Turkey, including Israeli Ambassador to Ankara Irit Lillian, decided to leave Turkey for “security reasons” after protests outside the embassy and consulate intensified on 19 October.

Israeli citizens demonstrated in several locations to demand that their government sign the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

A group of about 1,500 people gathered in Habima Square in central Tel Aviv at the call of the We Stand Together NGO, which brings together Israelis and Palestinians. The demonstrators carried banners, posters and placards with messages such as “Children in Rafah and children in Israel”, “Enough with the death of children”, “Deal now”, “Bring the prisoners home”, “Right now”, “Only peace will bring security”, “End half a year of hell”.

In his speech, Palestinian-born Israeli MP Ahmad Tibi accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not supporting a ceasefire for fear of losing his seat.

Prisoners’ relatives block the road

Relatives of Israeli prisoners in Gaza and their supporters gathered in the evening on Menachem Begin Street in front of the Ministry of Defence building in Tel Aviv.

The group of hundreds of Israelis carried banners and placards reading “Murderers”, “No price is too high for prisoners”, “Enough is enough”, “Attack on Rafah = killing prisoners” and pictures of Israeli prisoners in Gaza.

Israelis chanted “Bring them all”, “Deal now”, “Deal on the table, sign it”.

Israeli police closed Menachem Begin Street to traffic. Relatives of Israeli prisoners faced police obstructions as they marched from Begin Street to Kaplan Street. Scuffles broke out between the Israeli police and the demonstrators. The demonstrators closed Kaplan Street to one-way traffic for a while and long queues of vehicles formed.

Israelis marched around the Ministry of Defence building.

On the other hand, relatives of Israeli prisoners marched from the Israeli Supreme Court in West Jerusalem to the parliament building.

The demonstrators carried an empty coffin representing their relatives who died in the ongoing clashes in Gaza and have not yet been buried.

Carrying banners calling for the release of Israeli prisoners, the demonstrators chanted “We will not rest until they are all brought back to life, healed or buried in Israeli graves”.

At times, Israeli police intervened with the demonstrators and scuffles broke out.The police arrested two people.

Hamas approves ceasefire proposal

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, has informed Qatar and Egypt that he has accepted their proposals for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. After Hamas announced its acceptance of the “ceasefire proposals” put forward by Qatar and Egypt, the Israeli war cabinet decided to continue the attacks in Rafah. On 7 May, the Israeli army launched a ground assault east of Rafah and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.