KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The death toll from recent devastating rainstorms and flash floods across Afghanistan has risen to 36, with 40 others injured, according to the Taliban.
The Taliban’s National Disaster Management Authority announced Wednesday that the recent floods have also destroyed or partially damaged more than 300 homes and devastated hundreds of acres of farmland across several provinces.
Over the past two days, several provinces across the country experienced heavy snowfall, while some faced intense rain and flooding. Farah, Helmand, and Kandahar were particularly hard-hit, with more than 30 killed and many others injured.
Earlier, local Taliban authorities reported at least 21 fatalities and multiple injuries in Pusht-e-Koh district of western Farah province. The victims, all members of two families, included women and children, according to the Taliban.
Meanwhile, local sources confirmed that flash floods claimed the lives of at least 10 people, including women and children, in Helmand and Kandahar provinces on Tuesday. Several others were injured.
Afghanistan has been grappling with extreme weather in recent years, with heavy rain, snow, and floods killing hundreds and displacing thousands. These disasters have also severely impacted livestock and livelihoods, worsening the country’s economic crisis.
In 2024, storms and floods across eastern and northern Afghanistan claimed hundreds of lives. According to the United Nations, the heavy rains and flooding in April and May killed at least 500 people, injured over 2,000, and affected approximately 80,000 individuals. More than 10,000 homes were either destroyed or damaged, displacing thousands of families.
With limited infrastructure and resources to combat climate-related disasters, Afghanistan remains highly vulnerable to the worsening effects of extreme weather events.
