Heavy snow and rainfall kill 61 people in Afghanistan : NPR

KABUL, Afghanistan — Severe snowfall and heavy rain in the past three days have resulted in the deaths of over 60 individuals and injuries to more than 100 people across Afghanistan, according to the country’s disaster management authority. Authorities are facing challenges in opening roads and reaching isolated villages due to the extreme weather conditions.

Yousaf Hammad, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority, reported that 61 people had lost their lives, 110 were wounded, 458 homes were either completely or partially destroyed, and numerous animals perished in 15 out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The figures are subject to change as more information is gathered from the affected regions.

Afghanistan is highly susceptible to extreme weather events, such as snowstorms and heavy rainfall leading to flash floods, which often claim the lives of dozens or even hundreds of individuals. In 2024, over 300 people perished in flash floods during the spring.

Decades of conflict, inadequate infrastructure, a struggling economy, deforestation, and the escalating impact of climate change have exacerbated the consequences of such disasters, particularly in remote areas where many dwellings are constructed from mud and offer limited protection against sudden floods or heavy snow.

The eastern regions of the country are still recovering from destructive earthquakes that struck in late August and November of the previous year, resulting in the destruction of villages and the loss of over 2,200 lives. Those displaced by the earthquakes are especially vulnerable to severe cold and harsh weather conditions. In December, UNICEF warned that approximately 270,000 children in the affected earthquake zones were at significant risk of life-threatening illnesses due to the cold.

Earlier this month, the United Nations predicted that Afghanistan would continue to face one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises in 2026. The U.N. and its humanitarian partners have launched a $1.7 billion appeal to aid nearly 18 million individuals in urgent need within the country.