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STORY: :: Baghlan, Afghanistan

Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 1,600 injured in flash flooding in northern Afghanistan, authorities said on Sunday (May 12).

The Taliban-run refugee ministry says thousands of homes have been damaged and livestock wiped out following heavy rain.

Meanwhile aid groups warn of widening havoc as healthcare facilities and vital infrastructure have also been damaged.

For those who have survived, like Muhammad Yahqoob, their focus is burying the dead.

"The flash floods destroyed all our houses. I lost 13 members of my family, including women and children, so many livestock have been destroyed as well."

But moving forward isn’t simple and people are struggling to cope.

"We have no food, no drinking water, no shelter, no blankets, nothing at all, the floods have destroyed everything. Out of 42 houses, only two or three houses remain. The floods have destroyed the entire valley."

In a statement, the Taliban’s economy minister urged the United Nations and private businesses to provide support for those affected by the flooding.

Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters and the United Nations considers it one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.

But following the Taliban take-over after foreign forces withdrew in 2021, it's battled a shortfall in aid.

That’s because development aid that formed the backbone of government finances was cut.

This has worsened in subsequent years as foreign governments grapple with competing global crises and growing condemnation of the Taliban's curbs on Afghan women.