Twenty killed, 100 missing after flash floods hit Afghanistan, authorities say

ByREUTERSJULY 20, 2026 22:55At least 20 people were killed in flash floods in northeastern Afghanistan on Monday, the Taliban-run government said.The death toll was expected to rise, with 100 people still missing on Monday night.Most of the damage was reported from Parun, the capital of Nuristan, the Taliban's National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement. At least 80 people were injured, according to the authority.Taliban officials said Monday evening that they had launched a search and rescue operation in the remote province on the Afghan-Pakistani border. Rescuers feared "severe financial and human losses," the National Disaster Management Authority said.A Taliban security personnel stands guard on a rooftop, on the tenth day of Ashura during the Islamic holy month of Muharram in Kandahar on June 26, 2026; Illustrative. (credit: Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP via Getty Images)More rain in some areas, less in othersAfghanistan is among the nations most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which has made some parts of the country more drought-prone and exposed others to more rainfall.Deforestation in Nuristan and other provinces has further worsened flash floods in recent decades by slowing rainwater absorption into the soil.Follow us on Google