Heavy rainfall and storms in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan have caused a spate of flash floods, dealing a heavy blow to the infrastructure of the southeastern province.

Recent monsoon rains in dozens of cities have led to flooding of local rivers, closure of at least 42 roads and damage to hundreds of hectares of palm groves – an important source of income in the poor and otherwise arid region.

The deluge from the Kajou River in the south of the province has been the biggest during the monsoon seasons of the last 20 years, says the governor of the city of Qasr-e Qand Hashem Zehi. Last summer, monsoon rains and floods wreaked havoc in many provinces, with dozens dead or missing, amid the worst annual drought in recent memory.

Ghanbar Narui, an agricultural official in the district of Fanouj, said Sunday that 900 palm trees with dates have been uprooted, leading to a heavy loss in the date harvest in 350 hectares of palm groves in the region. The livelihood of the residents depends on the date trade. According to the official, Fanouj has a total of 2,300 hectares of palm groves, out of which 1,900 hectares produce dates.

Sistan and Baluchestan is the poorest province of Iran with a population of around 4 million, including 700,000 Afghan nationals. 

During the past years, this region has experienced many crises, including shortage of fuel, bread, and drinking water, as well as drought, widespread unemployment and increasing poverty.

In the recent popular protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, around 120 civilians were killed by security forces in the province, the highest number of victims among 31 provinces.