AFGHANISTAN / FLOODING

So far this year, it has been estimated that over 110,000 people have been affected by seasonal flooding in Afghanistan. Many have had to leave their homes of which thousands have been totally or partially destroyed and are now unsafe. WFP

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:00
• Production Date: 8 June 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME - WFP
• Subject Topical: NUTRITION; HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: AFGHANISTAN
• MAMS Id: U090608c

Description

STORY: AFGHANISTAN/ FLOODING
TRT: 2.00
SOURCE: WFP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ ARABIC/ NATS

DATELINE: 31MAY, 1 JUNE 2009, KHAIRABAD, JAWAZJAN PROVINCE, NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, farmer looks around the land that has been destroyed by thick layer of mud
2. Med shot, farmer
3. Pan right, workers carrying bags of grain at WFP distribution centre
4. Close up, bags of grain
5. Zoom out, workers piling up bags of grain
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Susannah Nicol, WFP Spokesperson:
"Seasonal rainfall and snowmelt has caused flooding in large swathes of the country, especially in the northern and western provinces, resulting in the destruction of homes, the loss of cultivated land and livestock."
7. Tilt up, thick layer of mud washed in, damaged houses in background
8. Wide shot, Mohammad Mir rummaging through damaged house
9. Close up, objects from house covered in mud
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammad Mir, local resident:
"Our situation was that it rained and at four in the morning the flood swept through our village and then the army units arrived with 9 helicopters and moved us from Khairabad, our village. I'm thankful to the army and the Governor of the province that they helped to save us and take us to from these floods to the roads."
11. Wide shot, portrait of Mohammad Mir’s family
12. Wide shot, tents where Mohammad Mir is now living with his family.

Storyline

Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters of which seasonal flooding is one. So far this year, it has been estimated that over 110,000 people have been affected already.

Farmers have been hard-hit. Crops have been destroyed and land rendered useless by the mud that now covers the soil.

So far, WFP has provided food to 70,000 people in 10 provinces, mainly in the north and west of Afghanistan with emergency food relief which consists of wheat, vegetable oil, pulses and salt.

SOUNDBITE (English) Susannah Nicol, World Food Programme (WFP) Spokesperson:
"Seasonal rainfall and snowmelt has caused flooding in large swathes of the country, especially in the northern and western provinces, resulting in the destruction of homes, the loss of cultivated land and livestock."

Many have also had to leave their homes, of which thousands have been totally or partially destroyed and are now unsafe.

Mohammad Mir lived in his house with 45 members of his family. The floods swept through his property burying everything in a deep layer of mud destroying most of their possessions.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammad Mir, local resident:
"Our situation was that it rained and at four in the morning the flood swept through our village and then the army units arrived with 9 helicopters and moved us from Khairabad, our village. I'm thankful to the army and the Governor of the province that they helped to save us and take us to from these floods to the roads."

Now his family has been forced to take shelter under flimsy tents by the side of the road. They have received an emergency food relief rations from the World Food Programme (WFP), but nothing else. The conditions are harsh.

If further flooding occurs, together with the Government of Afghanistan, WFP will assess the needs of those affected and who may require food relief. One of the major challenges is reaching stranded areas, even when the flood waters have receded, due to the damage caused to roads.