Natural disasters affect more than 92,000 people across Afghanistan
- World
- DPA
- Published Date: 04:23 PM 16 August 2026
Natural disasters have affected more than 92,000 people across Afghanistan since the beginning of the year, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a report on Sunday.
So far this year, 97 people have been killed and 331 injured in natural disasters, OCHA said. Nearly 10,000 homes have been damaged and more than 2,100 destroyed, leaving thousands of families facing longer-term recovery challenges.
Floods and flash floods have been the main driver of disaster-related humanitarian needs this year, OCHA said.
The UN agency said natural disasters have compounded humanitarian needs across Afghanistan, with the east bearing the brunt of the impact and Nuristan the most severely affected province.
In Nuristan, one woman described how the floods destroyed her home and belongings.
"Before the flood, I had a very beautiful home. We lived happily and had everything," she recalled to OCHA. "When the flood came, it swept away our entire house and all of our belongings."
OCHA spokeswoman Olga Cherevko said women had been disproportionately affected by the disaster in Nuristan, with many caring for their families in temporary shelters without adequate access to sanitation, hygiene or safe drinking water.
The agency said changing weather patterns may be contributing to more intense and unpredictable natural hazards, while decades of conflict and poor infrastructure have left Afghanistan less able to cope with disasters.
So far this year, 97 people have been killed and 331 injured in natural disasters, OCHA said. Nearly 10,000 homes have been damaged and more than 2,100 destroyed, leaving thousands of families facing longer-term recovery challenges.
Floods and flash floods have been the main driver of disaster-related humanitarian needs this year, OCHA said.
The UN agency said natural disasters have compounded humanitarian needs across Afghanistan, with the east bearing the brunt of the impact and Nuristan the most severely affected province.
In Nuristan, one woman described how the floods destroyed her home and belongings.
"Before the flood, I had a very beautiful home. We lived happily and had everything," she recalled to OCHA. "When the flood came, it swept away our entire house and all of our belongings."
OCHA spokeswoman Olga Cherevko said women had been disproportionately affected by the disaster in Nuristan, with many caring for their families in temporary shelters without adequate access to sanitation, hygiene or safe drinking water.
The agency said changing weather patterns may be contributing to more intense and unpredictable natural hazards, while decades of conflict and poor infrastructure have left Afghanistan less able to cope with disasters.
OTHER WORLD NEWS