KABUL: At least 60 persons have been killed by heavy rain and intense snow in Afghanistan over the past three weeks, the government’s disaster ministry said Wednesday.
Despite experiencing an unusually dry winter, Afghanistan typically confronts deadly weather conditions, particularly floods, as the season draws to a close.
Janan Sayeq, spokesperson for the disaster ministry, conveyed the grim toll in a video statement, revealing that “sixty compatriots have been martyred and 23 people injured” since February 20 due to the severe snow and rains.
The aftermath of the adverse weather has left approximately 1,645 houses either partially or completely destroyed, with nearly 178,000 livestock perishing, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the already impoverished nation.
Rain and Snowfall Destruction in Afghanistan
In the wake of the collapse of the US-backed government and the resurgence of the Taliban, foreign aid to Afghanistan has significantly diminished, severely hampering the country’s capacity to manage and respond to disasters.
The province of Herat, situated in the western region, has been particularly hard hit by flash floods following heavy rainfall since Monday evening. The area, still grappling with the aftermath of a series of devastating earthquakes in October, witnessed the tragic demise of five members of a single family on Tuesday, as the roof of their home collapsed in the provincial capital of Herat city, revealed disaster management official Abdul Zaher Noorzai.
Preliminary data indicates that approximately 250 houses have been obliterated, and vast expanses of farmland have been submerged under floodwaters. Relief efforts are anticipated to commence on Thursday to assist the affected communities.
The structure that collapsed on the five relatives had already sustained damage during the sequence of earthquakes that struck the region starting on October 7. These tremors claimed the lives of nearly 1,500 individuals and rendered approximately 30,000 homes either fully or partially demolished, according to figures provided by the United Nations.
