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 re...

Original source: Relief Web