KABUL – Heavy rainfall and flash floods swept through eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on Saturday, August 30, displacing at least 400 families and killing five people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM reported that the floods caused extensive damage to homes, roads, and agricultural land, particularly in the districts of Spin Ghar, Rodat, and Chaparhar. The organization said that its emergency teams are on the ground assessing needs and providing humanitarian assistance.
Local Taliban authorities stated that, in addition to the five deaths, at least 15 people were injured. Thousands of acres of farmland were reportedly destroyed, along with vital infrastructure such as retaining walls and road networks. Several other districts also sustained significant damage.
This disaster comes as Afghanistan faces increasingly severe climate-related challenges. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, the country ranks among the most vulnerable to climate change.
In recent years, Afghanistan has experienced more frequent and intense seasonal floods, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures, all of which are devastating already-fragile communities.
The floods are further worsening Afghanistan’s deep humanitarian crisis. Over two-thirds of the population currently requires some form of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
The country’s healthcare, education, and disaster-response systems remain severely weakened, particularly following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and the subsequent suspension of most international development aid.
Aid agencies and experts warn that natural disasters are becoming far more deadly due to the complete collapse of any functional disaster response system. The Taliban’s inability, or unwillingness, to build even the most basic emergency infrastructure, combined with their repressive rule and gross human rights abuses, has left the country exposed and abandoned.
The United Nations and other agencies have called for renewed efforts to build climate resilience in Afghanistan and to ensure that the country is not left behind in global climate financing. However, unlocking aid while navigating the political reality of Taliban control remains a significant challenge.
