Recent flashfloods and mudslides in eastern Afghanistan have devastated the homes of local residents who returned from refugee camps in neighboring Pakistan, worsening their already difficult living conditions.
A family of 10 who recently returned from Pakistan found themselves once again facing hardship. Their homes and belongings were swept away when flash floods tore through their village, forcing them to move into makeshift shelters.
After decades in Pakistan, the family, along with other Afghan refugees, had just finished living in cramped brick shelters and returned to their ancestral homeland. Only a month after setting up their tents, a sudden flash flood struck in the middle of the night.
"The flood surged down from the upper part of the village, forcing us to flee in darkness. It was a devastating torrent—we managed to save our children, but all our belongings were swept away," said Bahram Jan from the returned family.
Unpredictable weather in eastern Afghanistan makes rebuilding especially difficult. For this family, limited financial resources make constructing a proper house on their land even more challenging.
"We spent nearly 45 years in Pakistan as refugees. After returning to our homeland, we are now struck by such disasters, leaving everything in ruins. While we are grateful to be back in our country, we urgently appeal for proper housing to be built for us here,” said Jan.
Bahram's son, Esmatullah, had tried to support the family with a small roadside shop, but floodwaters wiped out much of his inventory, dealing another blow to the family.
"The flood swept away all the materials in my shop, and I struggled to replace them. It was so severe that we could not protect anything," said the boy.
Eastern Afghanistan flashfloods destroy homes of returned refugees
