Which disaster hazards particularly affect Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is particularly affected by floods and flash floods, earthquakes, drought, landslides, avalanches, and extreme rain, snow, wind, dust, heat, and cold. Mountains, land degradation, and weak infrastructure intensify the damage.

How do disaster warnings work in Afghanistan?

The Afghanistan Meteorological Department issues warnings about rain, thunderstorms, flash floods, wind, and dust through the internet, radio, television, and social media. Coverage is not reliable everywhere, especially in rural areas, so local instructions should also be checked.

Who orders an evacuation during a disaster in Afghanistan?

Evacuations are ordered for specific events by provincial committees, local authorities, or other responsible bodies. A nationwide standardized evacuation map and a standardized network of emergency shelters are not documented for Afghanistan.

Is there an automatic entitlement to disaster assistance in Afghanistan?

A general automatic entitlement to cash or assistance has not been confirmed for Afghanistan. Support depends on assessed need, available resources, donor funding, and decisions by the responsible authorities or humanitarian organizations.

Disasters in Afghanistan

Q: Where can people in Afghanistan get help during a disaster?

Affected people can contact the local or central Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, or ANDMA, the provincial governor, or humanitarian organizations and their partners. Depending on the situation, material assistance, cash, shelter, water, or food assistance may be available after a damage and needs assessment.

Afghanistan is repeatedly affected by earthquakes, floods, flash floods, drought, landslides, avalanches, and extreme weather. Mountains, an arid climate, land degradation, and weak infrastructure intensify the impacts, especially in remote areas. Warnings, local evacuation instructions, prepared communication channels, and needs-based assistance determine how people are protected and receive support.

Tip

Plan disaster protection in Afghanistan according to local hazards, access, and available services, because nationwide uniform evacuation routes and emergency shelters are not documented. Establish communication, alternatives, and contacts before rain, snow, floods, or tremors make access more difficult. Expect a needs assessment and possible delays for cash, shelter, and reconstruction assistance instead of assuming an automatic benefit.

byMursal&Wahid

Among the most common hazards in Afghanistan are floods and flash floods, earthquakes, drought, landslides, snow avalanches, extreme heat and cold, heavy snow or rain, thunderstorms, dust, and strong winds. Fires in cities or workplaces can also endanger many people and critical facilities. Earthquake risk is particularly high in the Hindu Kush and in the east and northeast. Rivers, steep catchments, and remote mountain corridors increase the risk of floods, landslides, and avalanches there. Drought places particular pressure on agriculture, grazing land, and water supplies. Afghanistan’s national disaster management authority (Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority), or ANDMA, coordinates disaster management at national and provincial level. Its tasks include hazard maps, public awareness, preventive construction, and strengthening local communities. A total of 4,970 vulnerable sites have been recorded in all 34 provinces. In fiscal year 1403, corresponding to the period from 2024 to 2025, 18 preventive projects were planned; six had been completed. These include retaining walls, gabions, retention basins, drainage channels, culverts, and measures on bridges and roads. Afghanistan’s meteorological department (Afghanistan Meteorological Department), or AMD, issues warnings about rain, thunderstorms, flash floods, wind, and dust. The information is distributed via the internet, radio, television, and social media, but does not reliably reach remote rural areas everywhere. A joint program through December 2026 improves flood forecasting, drought monitoring, digital weather and hazard data, and impact-based warnings. Households should follow local warnings, avoid riverbanks and flood channels, and decide in advance how they will communicate if transport or communication routes are disrupted. When an event occurs, residents or local authorities report it. ANDMA and provincial offices coordinate search and rescue, transport of injured people, rapid damage and needs assessments, registration of affected people, and mobilization of aid. The Afghan Red Crescent Society, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other aid organizations play a practical role in rescue, medical referrals, water assistance, and clearing blocked routes. Provincial committees and local authorities may order event-specific evacuations. The available information does not document a nationwide standardized civilian emergency number modeled on 112, a standardized evacuation map system, or a nationwide network of standardized emergency shelters. Remote places often suffer from blocked roads, limited medical care, weather problems, and restricted communications; air transport is possible only where access and the security situation allow it. Assistance is provided either through a formal application to ANDMA or the provincial governor, or through humanitarian organizations and their partners. After a review, direct material assistance, distributions, or preventive projects may follow. Humanitarian organizations provide cash, food, shelter, and water assistance according to assessed needs and available resources. For UNHCR shelter assistance, relevant factors include urgent need and proof of land ownership, a municipal or public site with local approval, a right of use, or visible building damage. UNHCR is not responsible for food assistance; depending on the situation, that is the responsibility of the World Food Programme. A general automatic entitlement to cash or assistance has not been confirmed. Affected people may request an assessment, but access and scope depend on the assessment, resources, donor funding, and decisions by the responsible authorities. Emergency assistance begins as soon as possible, but may be delayed by security, weather, roads, and insufficient resources. Aid services often last days to weeks, while reconstruction takes months or years. After initial assistance, damage and loss assessments are followed by measures for housing, water and sanitation, agriculture, livestock, irrigation, livelihoods, transport, energy, and public facilities. Retaining walls and more resilient shelters can reduce the effects of future events. Funding remains a major constraint: US$139.6 million was budgeted for September to December 2025 for the plan following the 2025 earthquake in the east; 498,800 people were considered in need. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan required US$2.42 billion, but had received only US$912.9 million at the time of reporting. The scale of the risk is shown by the available damage data. According to the World Bank, natural hazards have affected nine million people and caused more than 20,000 deaths since 1980. The 2024 floods affected more than 119,160 people in 32 provinces, damaged or destroyed more than 6,800 houses, and caused at least 225 deaths. In the magnitude-6.0 earthquake in the east on 31 August 2025, more than 2,200 people died, 3,600 were injured, and approximately 6,800 houses were destroyed. For current information, check the AMD public warning page, local authorities, and the ANDMA provincial office. ANDMA lists +93 (0) 0202527375 and info@andma.gov.af as central contact details.