Heavy rains battered parts of Afghanistan, triggering flash floods that have so far killed 17 people, officials said on Friday.
Among those dead were five members of a family when the roof of their house collapsed on Thursday in Kabkan, a district in Herat province, according to the regional governorate.
A majority of the casualties have occurred since Monday, with multiple districts submerged due to the heavy rain and snowfall.
Bad weather has disrupted life across southern, northern, central and western regions, said Mohammad Yousaf Hammad, a spokesperson for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA).
“The floods have damaged infrastructure worth millions, destroyed livestock, and affected 1,800 families,” Hammad said.
The administration in the affected areas has mobilised teams to assess the worst-affected parts, with surveys ongoing to determine the relief material needed for immediate aid to the affected families and those injured.
Also Read: Afghanistan earthquake kills over 800
Akin to its neighbours, India and Pakistan, Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, especially flash floods triggered by cloudbursts and heavy rainfall.
The country’s topography, combined with climate sensitivity and decades of deforestation, have amplified the impact of weather-related disasters.
In August 2025, an earthquake of 6.0 magnitude hit Afghanistan, killing approximately 1,400 people.
In its annual report, the United Nations and other aid agencies warned that the country is expected to remain one of the world’s areas experiencing the largest humanitarian crises going into 2026.
On Tuesday, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners launched a $1.7-billion appeal to help nearly 18 million people in urgent need of help here.
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