Flash floods kill at least 17 in Afghanistan after heavy rains, snowfall

The season’s first heavy rains and snowfall have ended a prolonged dry spell in Afghanistan but triggered flash floods across several regions, killing at least 17 people and injuring 11 others, officials said on January 1.

Most of the casualties have been reported since December 29 in districts affected by flooding, according to Mohammad Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The severe weather has disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern, and western parts of the country, Caliber.Az reports via AP. 

Among the dead were five members of a single family whose home collapsed on January 1 in Kabkan district of Herat province, said Mohammad Yousaf Saeedi, spokesman for the Herat governor. Two of the victims were children.

Hammad said the floods have damaged infrastructure, killed livestock, and affected around 1,800 families, worsening conditions in already vulnerable urban and rural communities. Assessment teams have been deployed to the hardest-hit areas, and surveys are ongoing to determine additional needs, he added.

Afghanistan, like neighbouring Pakistan and India, is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, particularly flash floods following seasonal rains. Decades of conflict, weak infrastructure, deforestation, and the growing impact of climate change have increased the severity of such disasters, especially in remote areas where many homes are built from mud and provide little protection against sudden flooding.

The United Nations and other aid agencies have warned that Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026. On December 30, the UN and its partners launched a $1.7 billion appeal to support nearly 18 million people in urgent need across the country.

By Sabina Mammadli