New avalanches hinder relief efforts in Afghanistan
Rescue and relief teams are struggling to reach remote villages in the northeastern province of Panjshir that was struck by a series of avalanches due to poor weather. The death toll currently stands at more than 200.
Death toll on the rise
The number of casualties from recent avalanches and flooding in Afghanistan has risen to over 200 and is expected to continue growing as rescue agencies reach the impacted areas. 18 out of 34 Afghan provinces have been affected by the severe weather.
Looking for their way out
Afghanistan has suffered a humanitarian crisis since the Soviet invasion in 1979 which led to over three decades of war. However, natural disasters including floods and avalanches have also hurt the country due to its limited infrastructure outside of its major urban areas.
Restoring life
Men in the Panjshir province remove snow on their own from the roofs of damaged houses after the avalanches. Due to rescuers' inability to quickly reach the affected areas, the locals have taken the brunt of the cleanup efforts.
Digging out
Blocked roads and downed power lines have continued to serve as barriers in the rescue efforts. A lack of heavy machinery has led many locals to dig out areas using shovels or even their bare hands. Due to the persistently poor conditions, officials warn of a probable humanitarian emergency.
Waiting for help
Due to these poor conditions, rescuers have resorted to alternative methods in order to get much-needed aid to the region. Helicopters have been dropping medicine, blankets, and other essential items to the disaster-ridden areas.
Homes destroyed
In the Panjshir province, mud-brick houses such as this one have been severely damaged by the worst avalanches to hit the country in over 30 years. Until the recent heavy snowfall, locals had been worried about the unusually dry winter. The recent severe weather has taken locals by surprise.
Human tragedy
Rescuers are fighting wind and snow in an attempt to save dozens more trapped beneath the snow. As critical time passes and the snow continues to fall, the chances of finding survivors is dwindling.
National mourning
President Ashraf Ghani announced three days of national mourning and canceled a planned visit to Iran. Officials fear the number of victims will continue to rise as rescue workers have yet to reach worst-hit area of Paryan. Forecasts of fresh snow in the coming days have also sparked concerns of new avalanches.
Ongoing efforts
Rescue workers have used bulldozers to clear roads to the affected Panjshir province, where people have seen power outages for the past week due to the damage caused to power lines by the heavy snowfall.
A huge toll
Avalanches and other natural disasters such as landslides and floods are not uncommon in Afghanistan. These catastrophes have taken a heavy toll on the conflict-ridden country both by causing human casualties as well as damaging infrastructure.