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15 killed, over 50 injured in fresh Afghanistan floods

By The South Asia Times

KABUL – At least 15 people have been killed and more than 50 injured as heavy rains and flash floods swept through multiple districts in northern Afghanistan, state-run news agency RTA reported on Friday.

The Taliban’s provincial disaster management department in Baghlan province confirmed that the overnight flooding also damaged or destroyed over 200 homes and devastated thousands of acres of agricultural land, washing away crops and vital topsoil ahead of the harvest season.

Officials said rescue teams are working to reach the most isolated villages, though damaged roads and continued rainfall have hampered efforts. The victims’ identities and the names of the worst-affected districts were not immediately released.

The latest deaths add to a worsening humanitarian crisis. According to the Taliban’s National Disaster Management Authority, at least 250 people have been killed and 344 injured in flood-related incidents across Afghanistan since March 26, according to Amu Tv.

The agency noted that more than 17,300 families have been affected during that period, with thousands of acres of farmland and orchards destroyed.

Large parts of the country have been hit by heavy rainfall, flash floods, and severe weather in recent days, disrupting major road links and cutting off several remote communities from aid supplies.

Afghanistan remains one of the nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, despite contributing minimally to global emissions. In recent years, the country has experienced increasingly frequent floods, droughts, and extreme weather events. Humanitarian agencies have warned that fragile infrastructure, widespread environmental degradation, and a severely limited disaster-response capacity have left the country dangerously exposed to climate-related disasters.

The Taliban administration has appealed for international assistance, though relief efforts have been complicated by ongoing funding shortfalls and political isolation.