UNICEF Distributes Aid to Afghan Families as Extreme Weather Causes Deaths and Damage

UNICEF Distributes Aid to Afghan Families as Extreme Weather Causes Deaths and Damage
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has distributed emergency aid to over 5,500 families displaced by ongoing border clashes in eastern Afghanistan, while severe flooding, landslides, and thunderstorms across the country have left at least 17 people dead and 26 injured in the past 24 hours.

UNICEF Representative Tajuddin Owywali announced that the agency delivered hygiene kits and essential supplies to affected families in the provinces of Khost, Paktika, and Paktia. The humanitarian effort aims to mitigate the impact of conflict on children and support families forced to flee their homes.

Simultaneously, authorities reported that extreme weather has caused widespread destruction in 13 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, mostly in the western, central, and northwestern regions. The National Disaster Management Authority stated that 147 homes were destroyed or damaged, 80 kilometers of roads were wiped out, and agricultural land and irrigation systems were heavily affected.

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, with flash floods and heavy snowfall historically causing significant fatalities and property loss. In 2024, springtime floods alone claimed more than 300 lives. Experts note that decades of conflict, deforestation, inadequate infrastructure, and climate change have intensified the effects of such disasters, particularly in remote areas where homes are often made of mud and provide limited protection against sudden weather events.