Several roads in northern Afghanistan that were blocked by flooding have been reopened, the Taliban public works ministry said, as recovery efforts continue after days of heavy rains and widespread damage.
The ministry said routes in Panjshir, Takhar and Samangan provinces had been cleared after being closed for nearly five days due to flash floods triggered by intense rainfall.
According to Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, Taliban spokesman for the ministry, the reopened routes include key areas in Panjshir — Dashtak, Zamankur, Dalan Sang and the Pul-e Nilab area — as well as the road connecting Namak Ab district to Taloqan in Takhar and the main road linking Khuram wa Sarbagh district to Aybak, the capital of Samangan.
However, one route in Samangan, in the Roye Du Ab district near the Mullah Ali bridge, remains closed, with efforts underway to reopen it, he said.
The reopening of the roads comes as much of Afghanistan continues to deal with the aftermath of severe weather that has affected large parts of the country over the past five days.
The Taliban-run Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANMDA) said earlier that at least 28 people had been killed and 49 others injured in floods, landslides and lightning strikes since March 26.
In Kapisa province, local disaster officials reported significant damage to homes and farmland. Mohammad Saber Ahmad, a Taliban provincial disaster management, said around 40 houses had been destroyed or damaged in several villages, including Baluchkhel, Choni, Mahmoodkhel and Qasaban.
He added that hundreds of acres of agricultural land and dozens of irrigation canals had also been damaged, further affecting rural livelihoods.
The flooding has disrupted transportation, damaged infrastructure and displaced families across multiple provinces, underscoring Afghanistan’s vulnerability to extreme weather.
