Disaster Risk: UNICEF reports flash floods (July 20–Aug 3) across central and eastern Afghanistan killed at least 26 people, injured 130+, and damaged hundreds of homes and key infrastructure, including roads, bridges, flood walls, agricultural land, and water supply networks—leaving communities with disrupted access to safe drinking water. Public Health: WHO says four new wild polio cases in Afghanistan bring 2026 total to 19, with detections in Herat, Paktika, and Kandahar; environmental surveillance also shows continued virus circulation. Water Security: A new analysis warns that the “water weapon” is uncertainty, not scarcity, highlighting how strategic vulnerabilities like desalination can become targets in regional crises. Infrastructure & Energy: Afghanistan’s procurement body approved 21 development projects worth about $99m (6.5bn afghanis), including reconstruction of the Manaqi Hydroelectric Dam in Kunar and hospital construction, plus airport customs scanners—funded from the domestic budget. Mining & Environment: Badakhshan residents raise concerns about Chinese-led mining, alleging weak enforcement of environmental rules and night-time extraction/processing beyond gold. Governance & Safety: Kabul’s Sham-e-Hedayat school blast investigation continues, with students describing how an explosive object was brought into the school and passed before it detonated.