Flash floods in Afghanistan kill at least 17, injure 11, officials say

Heavy rains and snowfall that marked the season’s start in Afghanistan ended a prolonged dry spell, but also triggered flash floods in several areas, according to a spokesman for the country’s National Disaster Management Authority. The floods killed at least 17 people and injured 11 others, the spokesman said Thursday.

Mohammad Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, said most of the casualties occurred since Monday in districts hit by flooding. He added that the severe weather disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern and western regions.

The dead included five members of a family in a property in Kabkan, a district in Herat province, after the roof collapsed on Thursday, according to Mohammad Yousaf Saeedi, spokesman for the Herat governor. Saeedi said two of the victims were children.

Hammad said the floods also damaged infrastructure in the affected districts, killed livestock, and affected 1,800 families. He said the impact worsened conditions in already vulnerable urban and rural communities.

The National Disaster Management Authority has sent assessment teams to the worst-affected areas, with surveys ongoing to determine further needs, Hammad said. The statement indicated the agency is evaluating the situation as the flooding’s immediate effects continue.

Afghanistan, like neighboring Pakistan and India, is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, particularly flash floods following seasonal rains, the report said. It cited factors including decades of conflict, poor infrastructure, deforestation and the intensifying effects of climate change, especially in remote areas where many homes are made of mud and offer limited protection against sudden deluges.

The report also said the United Nations and other aid agencies warned Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026. It said the UN and its humanitarian partners launched a $1.7 billion appeal on Tuesday to assist nearly 18 million people in urgent need in the country.