Floods Block Two Key Highways in Afghanistan, Causing Widespread Damage

Local sources have confirmed that as a result of flooding, the Kabul-Kandahar highway between Ghazni and Zabul provinces, as well as the Kandahar-Herat highway in the Shindand district area, have been blocked. According to these sources, these vital routes have been closed to vehicle traffic since 8 p.m. last night and remain unopened as of this report. Despite the importance of these highways, which connect central, southern, and western parts of the country, the Taliban administration has yet to issue official information regarding the exact cause of the blockage, the extent of damage, or the expected time for reopening. The continued closure of these routes could severely disrupt passenger travel and the transportation of commercial goods. Meanwhile, heavy rains and recent floods have caused extensive damage across more than twenty provinces in the country. According to the National Disaster Management Authority under the Taliban administration, the death toll from recent natural events has reached 99, with at least 154 others injured. The authority also reports that approximately six thousand families have been affected, and more than 3,600 homes have been partially or completely destroyed. In the past 24 hours alone, 11 people have died and 11 others have been injured in the provinces of Kabul, Parwan, Daikundi, Kapisa, Paktia, Paktika, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Zabul, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Herat, Badghis, Ghor, Nimroz, Samangan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Laghman, and Kunar. In addition to human casualties, about 11,700 acres of agricultural land have been damaged, and 337 kilometers of road infrastructure have been affected. Given the scale of the damage and the continuing rainfall, there is an increasing need for effective crisis management and urgent assistance to the affected families—a responsibility that the Taliban administration is expected to address.