Severe rains and snow trigger deadly floods across Afghanistan

DID Press: Taliban authorities say heavy rainfall and snowfall, which ended a prolonged period of drought, have triggered flash floods in several parts of Afghanistan, leaving at least 17 people dead and 11 others injured.

According to Herat governor’s spokesperson Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, five members of a single family were killed when the roof of their home collapsed in the Kabkan area of Herat province on Thursday. Two children were among the victims.

Mohammad Yousuf Hamad, spokesperson for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), said most of the casualties have been recorded since Monday in districts hit by flooding. Severe weather has disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern and western regions, he added.

The floods have damaged infrastructure, killed livestock and affected around 1,800 families, further worsening conditions for vulnerable urban and rural communities. Assessment teams have been deployed to affected areas and needs evaluations are ongoing, Hamad noted.

Videos shared on the social platform X show a truck overturned by sudden flooding on the Herat–Kandahar highway near Dasht-e-Bakwa, while another video shows passengers trying to escape a bus after it was swept over by strong floodwaters.

Afghanistan, like neighboring Pakistan and India, is highly exposed to extreme weather events — particularly sudden flash floods following seasonal rains. Decades of conflict, weak infrastructure, deforestation and the intensifying effects of climate change have amplified the impact of natural disasters, especially in remote areas where many homes are built from mud and offer little protection.

The United Nations and aid agencies have warned that Afghanistan will remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026. The UN and its humanitarian partners this week appealed for $1.7 billion to support nearly 18 million people in need.