At Least 75 Drown in Afghanistan in Past Two and a Half Months

KABUL, Afghanistan – At least 75 people have drowned in separate incidents across Afghanistan over the past two and a half months, the country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported Monday.

According to the authority, the deaths occurred since the start of the current solar year 1405, which began in late March. An additional three people were injured in water-related incidents during the same period.

The NDMA’s spokesperson, Hafiz Mohammad Yousuf Hamad, said the fatalities include 27 men, seven women, and a disproportionately high number of children 41 in total. The figure highlights the heightened vulnerability of young people near water bodies, particularly as families seek relief from summer heat.

While the NDMA did not immediately provide a province-by-province breakdown, officials in eastern Nangarhar province reported that at least 15 people drowned in rivers while swimming over the past two months alone. Ten of those victims were underage boys.

In response to the rising death toll, Hamad urged the public to follow the authority’s safety guidelines when swimming or going on outings. He specifically called for caution near rivers, canals, dams, and other bodies of water, warning that many Afghans, especially children, lack formal swimming training and often underestimate the strength of seasonal currents.

The NDMA reiterated that drowning incidents tend to spike during the summer months, when recreational swimming and washing activities increase, and advised families to supervise children closely and avoid swimming in unmarked or fast-moving waters.

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