Afghanistan (MNN) — What started as gentle rainfall on Friday in northern Afghanistan suddenly turned to flash floods that killed at least 300 people. Muddy rapids swept away entire houses were in 18 districts.
Most of the victims were women and children. Even surviving families lost their land and livestock, which meant their livelihood.
Now, many villages in the mountainous region desperately need aid.
(Photo courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)
Didi* with Global Catalytic Ministries (GCM) says, “The challenge is with the Taliban regime; they’re not bringing resources and rescue. Actually, it’s a really challenging area for reaching, period.”
The flooding obliterated some roads. One farmer trying to reach his family couldn’t find the road back to his village. His wife and three of his six children died in the floods; one son is still missing.
Although aid is slow coming, Afghan Christians in connection with GCM are mobilizing to the area with relief supplies.
Didi explains, “We don’t identify ourselves on the ground as GCM, but we have Afghan relationships with believers on the ground that we work with. So we have a few people that we know directly that they’re sending.”
Believers in Afghanistan still have to be careful in navigating situations that could lead to spiritual conversations.
“The first generation of believers, so many of them were in the direct line of fire and left the country,” says Didi. “So it’s a new day trying to reengage in the nation and seeing the Kingdom of God go forth.”
Ministry in Afghanistan today often looks like living out the Gospel and meeting the needs of Muslim neighbors, especially in light of natural disasters. The flash floods over the weekend are just the latest in a series of disasters to hit Afghanistan’s impoverished remote villages.
Didi says, “A huge part is just literally being the hands and feet of Jesus and creating relational equity through bringing care and assistance to this.
“From that point, after the relational bridges are formed and they’re past the immediate crisis, then you have opportunity to share the Good News: What’s the hope? Why did they come versus others that didn’t come?”
Pray for grieving Afghan families to ultimately know the comfort of Jesus Christ.
*Psuedonym for security purposes.
Header photo courtesy of Farid Ershad/Unsplash.
