KABUL (SW) – An overwhelming majority of citizens in Afghanistan are living in areas prone to natural disasters, said an official.
The Ministry of State for Disaster Management, expressing concerns over the vulnerability of the country’s citizens to natural disasters, says that these events cause thousands of lives and financial losses every year.
Molajanan Sayeq, head of the government’s Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Emergency Operations Center, told Salam Watandar that about 85 percent of citizens are at risk of natural disasters, and that snowstorms, floods and earthquakes are affecting thousands of people across the country.
“Approximately 80 to 85 percent of the Afghan people are vulnerable and in need of assistance,” Sayeq added. “Most provinces, especially in the north and south, need help. There are floods in Kandahar and Helmand provinces now, and more problems in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces.”
The Ministry of State for Disaster Management emphasized that although preparations have been made to prevent natural disasters, but the ministry does not have enough funds to control it altogether.
Meanwhile, Abbas Akhund, Minister of State for Disaster Management, has called on aid agencies in Kabul to help those affected by natural disasters during a program to distribute aid to vulnerable families in Kabul.
ENDS
