The Wadi Bana, a major river, flows into the sea to the east of the town.

On May 19-20, 1994, during the 1994 civil war in Yemen, rebel planes dropped two bombs near the cemetery in al-Kawd, killing four boys.

[citation needed] On November 15, fighters loyal to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took over the town, a key part of the Battle of Zinjibar.

[2] In 2019, the Security Belt Forces, a paramilitary aligned with the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, dislodged an estimated 350 pro-government forces from a military camp in Al Kawd, leading to four deaths.

[3] As of 2023, the Southern Transitional Council controls much of Abyan Governorate, including Al Kawd.