At Least 17 Dead, 11 Others Injured After Snowfall and Heavy Rain Trigger Flash Floods
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At least 17 people have died since Monday, Dec. 29, due to severe weather in Afghanistan
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According to a spokesperson for the Herat governor, the dead include five members of the same family
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Around 1,800 families have reportedly been affected by flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall and snow
At least 17 people are dead due to extreme weather in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Jan. 1, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s national disaster management authority announced that 17 people have been killed and 11 others are injured after flash floods hit multiple parts of the country, the Associated Press reported.
The deaths include five members of the same family, who were inside a property when its roof collapsed on New Year’s Day, said Mohammad Yousaf Saeedi, a spokesperson for the Herat governor, per AP.
Two children are reportedly among the victims.
AP
Flash floods sparked by heavy rain and snowfall affected roughly 1,800 families.
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The majority of the weather-related fatalities have been since Monday, Dec. 29, Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority told AP. Around 1,800 families have been affected by the flash floods that were triggered by heavy rain and snowfall.
Infrastructure has also been destroyed and livestock killed across Afghanistan’s central, northern, southern, and western regions.
Assessment teams have been sent to the areas worst affected, while surveys are set to take place to determine outstanding needs, per AP.
The extreme weather events come just days after the United Nations and other aid agencies said Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026.
A $1.7 billion appeal has been launched to assist nearly 18 million people in urgent need.
PEOPLE has contacted the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority for further comment.
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