From floods to drought, water extremes drive displacement in Afghanistan

Flash floods have devastated parts of central Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak province, destroying homes, farmland, and livestock. Entire families have been displaced after their houses were rendered uninhabitable and their animals drowned in the rising waters.

Residents described the disaster as unlike anything they had experienced before, with floodwaters sweeping away food supplies and belongings, leaving communities on the brink of starvation.  The tragedy adds to decades of hardship for Afghans, who have endured more than 40 years of conflict. While war displaced millions in the past, peace has not eased the suffering.

Increasingly, climate change-induced disasters such as floods, droughts, and other environmental shocks are now forcing families to abandon their homes in search of safety and survival.