War, deforestation, flooding: in Afghanistan they are all linked

Waters seep through a town in Ghor province. At least 50 people died in the flooding. Photograph: Najib Nazari

On 10 May 2024, Haroon Nafas was in his family’s guesthouse in Baghlan, north Afghanistan, spending time with friends who had come to stay. It had been raining lightly all through the afternoon, but at about 3pm the group heard a loud crashing noise.

“We immediately went outside to see what was causing the sound,” says Nafas. “Initially, we were confused, thinking it might have been a plane. But then we realised, no, it’s a flood.”