At least 61 people have died and 110 others were injured in Afghanistan as a result of heavy snowfall and torrential rains that have hit much of the country over the past few days, the National Authority for Disaster Management (NDMA) reported on Saturday. The storm, which peaked in intensity between Wednesday and Thursday, severely damaged infrastructure in various provinces, leaving hundreds of families homeless amidst freezing temperatures.
The official NDMA statement details a bleak picture for the civilian population: Human losses: 61 confirmed fatalities so far; Injured: 110 people with varying degrees of injuries due to landslides and accidents; Destroyed homes: A total of 458 houses were partially or completely destroyed by the weight of snow and floods; Livestock: Thousands of heads of livestock, a vital livelihood in rural areas, died from extreme cold.
In the Paghman district of Kabul province, heavy snow has blocked main communication routes, hindering rescue operations and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Images of residents trying to travel on motorcycles through roads completely covered in white reflect the precariousness of the situation. The disaster response is hampered by a lack of resources and the isolation of mountainous areas. The NDMA warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams manage to access remote communities that remain cut off by snow avalanches. International bodies have expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis, as thousands of displaced people lack adequate shelter, food, and heating in one of the most inhospitable regions in the world during winter.
