Heavy rain over the weekend led to flash flooding in a number of villages around Mount Qandil, causing huge damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

Shaho Mohammed told Rudaw his village, Endiz, is normally home to around 50 families. However, owing to the annual flooding, just 20 to 25 families remain during the winter months.

“This time the flooding destroyed eight households and has incurred mounting damages to other houses, too,” he said.

“The villagers were forced to flee their homes as there was a threat of landslides,” he added. 

The village school, mosque, and local hospital were also destroyed, he said.

Beekeeping and farming, the village’s main source of income and employment, have also been damaged.

“Twenty five beehives belonging to me went missing due to the flash flood,” he said. Other local beekeepers suffered similar losses, he added.