KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says Afghanistan’s rainy season has begun drier and warmer than usual, raising concerns about water availability and food security in the months ahead.
According to the agency, seasonal forecasts linked to the La Nina climate pattern indicate a high likelihood of below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures across much of Afghanistan during the early winter period.
In its latest report, FAO says multi-model precipitation forecasts for November 2025 to January 2026 suggest that below-average rainfall is likely to persist in most parts of the country, particularly in the northern, north-eastern and central highlands.
The agency adds that snow accumulation during the current rainy season has been very limited. FAO cites the Global Agriculture Monitoring Initiative as saying that the 2025-26 snow season has started with the lowest level of “snow water equivalent” recorded in the past 25 years.
According to FAO, this points to a critical hydrologic deficit, with significant implications for spring irrigation water supplies, especially in areas dependent on snowmelt-fed river systems for irrigated wheat production.
The organization warns that with snow water levels currently extremely low and seasonal forecasts indicating continued dry conditions, concerns are growing over the adequacy of irrigation water for the spring 2026 agricultural season.
Afghanistan has been experiencing severe drought for several consecutive years. The crisis has had a devastating impact on farmers and livestock owners, contributing to rising poverty and hunger across the country.
The latest report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), published by the United Nations, predicts that 17.4 million people in Afghanistan will face severe food insecurity during the coming winter.
This comes at a time when humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan has declined, further exacerbating the vulnerability of millions of people already affected by climate shocks and economic hardship.
