Afghanistan Flood 2026 - DREF Operation Update (MDRAF021)
Country: Afghanistan
Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Please refer to the attached file.
Description of the Event
Date of event
30-03-2026
What happened, where and when?
The flash flooding event began on 26 March 2026, when heavy and sustained rainfall struck multiple regions of Afghanistan, coinciding with the spring thaw and snowmelt from mountainous catchments. The DREF was triggered on 30 March 2026 based on ARCS field reports of a sharp rise in affected families, ARCS's formal request for international support, and meteorological forecasts confirming that continued rainfall and snowmelt would further compound flood risks. The initial allocation under MDRAF021 was released against 2,634 affected families (18,438 people).
Rainfall did not stabilize after activation. Successive precipitation episodes through early and mid-April produced repeated waves of flash flooding, progressively extending the disaster's footprint. On 14 April 2026, ARCS field assessments recorded 11,067 households (approximately 77,462 people) affected, a substantial increase from the initial caseload, and on 24 April, ARCS shared the consolidated field report on the IFRC GO platform and requested the support to upscale the operation, which was considered the trigger date for the second allocation request.
OCHA's Flash Update #3 (17–26 April 2026) reports a lower figure of 73,300 people initially identified as affected and 56,900 confirmed in need, with joint inter-agency assessments still ongoing in 34 districts. The variance between ARCS and OCHA figures reflects differences in methodology and coverage rather than contradiction: ARCS data is drawn from its 34 provincial branch network with direct community level access, including areas not yet reached by inter-agency missions, while OCHA figures are based on verified joint assessments completed at the time of reporting and exclude districts where assessments remain in progress. ARCS figures are therefore used as the operational planning basis for this second allocation, with OCHA data referenced for inter-agency corroboration of the overall trajectory.
FEWS NET's April–September 2026 Outlook similarly confirms flash flooding countrywide, affecting nearly 74,000 people through destruction of homes, infrastructure, and agricultural land. ...