In early May 2007 heavy seasonal rains triggered floods in the northeastern province of Badakhshan Province, killing 23 people (including one NATO soldier) and destroying dozens of homes in remote valleys. Concurrently, coalition air-raids in Helmand Province [note: separate region but same timeframe] angered local civilians in Garmau, Sarwan Qala district, spawning protests by May 8. The combination of natural disaster and military operations underscored Afghanistan’s layered risks: environmental hazards layered on a fragile security context. The floods demonstrated how much Afghan civil infrastructure and disaster mitigation lagged behind.
