This blog post summarizes the latest official update from Afghanistan on extreme weather events that have unfolded over the past 24 hours. These events are part of a two-week stretch of storms, heavy rainfall, landslides, and floods.
It highlights the human toll and the damage to infrastructure. Authorities warn that figures could still rise as rescue and relief needs remain urgent.
The report also places these events in the context of Afghanistan’s recurring vulnerability to climate-driven disasters.
What happened in the last 24 hours
In Jalalabad and the surrounding districts in Nangarhar province, torrential rains and consequent roof collapses killed 13 people and injured 19 overnight, according to provincial officials. Across the country, authorities reported that extreme weather over the past day has caused 22 fatalities and 32 injuries as the storms continued to lash communities.
These losses come amid two weeks of damaging weather that have already claimed more than 130 lives nationwide. Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Rescue and relief operations faced immediate challenges as floodwaters stranded residents and swept away pathways. Provincial information director Siddiqullah Quraishi said that 104 people were airlifted to safety by helicopter after becoming stranded by rising floodwaters.
The scale of disruption was amplified by the destruction of transportation routes. Hundreds of kilometers of roads have been damaged by floods, landslides, and rockfalls in various parts of the country.
Major highways linking Kabul with northern, eastern, and western provinces were closed. This has hindered both travel and aid delivery.
Impact on people and relief operations
The fatalities and injuries reflect a harsh reality for communities facing continual hazards from weather extremes. With roads out of service and floodwaters receding slowly, many households remain exposed to further risks.
Relief teams must contend with limited access to remote areas. The Afghanistan National Disaster Authority cautioned that casualty figures could still rise as assessments continue.
Infrastructure damage and disruption
Beyond human losses, the floods and landslides have disrupted essential infrastructure. The destruction of hundreds of kilometers of roads and the closure of key highways complicate relief logistics and hinder medical evacuations.
In a country already grappling with constrained emergency response capacity, such sustained infrastructure damage increases the vulnerability of affected populations. This heightens the risk of delayed assistance.
Context: climate risk and Afghanistan’s vulnerability
Afghanistan is highly exposed to extreme weather, with snow and heavy rainfall frequently triggering deadly flash floods. The recent events follow a pattern of recurring climate-driven disasters that stress the country’s fragile infrastructure and emergency-response systems.
A separate deadly spring flood season in 2024 killed more than 300 people. This illustrates how quickly seasonal weather transitions can escalate into humanitarian crises.
Why this pattern persists
Fragile infrastructure and limited emergency capacity intersect with climate trends to produce disproportionate damage in rural and peri-urban areas. Floods, landslides, and rockfalls often strike without sufficient warning or durable defenses.
This reality underscores the urgency of integrating disaster risk reduction into development planning. Prioritizing climate-smart infrastructure is essential.
Pathways to resilience and response
To reduce the human and economic toll of these events, several actions are critical.
The following measures can help strengthen resilience and improve future response outcomes:
- Strengthen early warning systems and community-level evacuation plans to shorten the time between forecast and action.
- Invest in flood-resistant housing, safer roof designs, and resilient roads to minimize structural failures during storms.
- Maintain rapid airlift capability and expand logistics networks to reach difficult or flood-affected areas quickly.
- Improve urban drainage, river management, and landslide risk mapping to reduce flood impacts.
- Enhance cross-border and in-country coordination for timely aid delivery and supply chain stability.