At least 17 people have died and 11 others were injured after extreme weather triggered flash flooding across several parts of Afghanistan, according to officials.
On Thursday, Jan. 1, Afghanistan’s national disaster management authority said the casualties followed sudden floods caused by heavy rain and snowfall, the Associated Press reported.
Among the dead were five members of the same family who were inside a building when its roof collapsed on New Year’s Day, Mohammad Yousaf Saeedi, a spokesperson for the Herat governor, told AP. Two children are reported to be among the victims.
Most of the weather-related deaths have occurred since Monday, Dec. 29, Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said. The flash floods have affected roughly 1,800 families, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing livestock across central, northern, southern, and western regions of the country.
Assessment teams have been dispatched to the worst-hit areas, and further surveys are planned to identify urgent needs, according to AP.
The deadly storms come just days after the United Nations and other aid agencies warned that Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026. A $1.7 billion appeal has been launched to support nearly 18 million people in urgent need of assistance.
