Severe Weather Claims Dozens of Lives Across Afghanistan

At least 20 people have lost their lives, and 14 others have been injured in various provinces of Afghanistan due to relentless snowfall and freezing temperatures in the last lunar month. The Taliban’s Department of Disaster Management has reported that just in two recent days, four people died and eight were wounded as a result of severe weather conditions in different regions of the country.

Moreover, Today (2nd March), four more people lost their lives when a house’s roof collapsed in Andarsir village, Asadabad, Kunar province, with three others sustaining injuries.

In Kandahar, two more children lost their lives and three others were injured due to ongoing rainfall. Local reports from sources close to the Taliban indicate that 238 houses in Kandahar city and its districts were also destroyed due to the recent torrential rains. This devastation comes shortly after a similar incident claimed five lives in Helmand just two days prior.

In addition to human casualties, a significant number of animals, totaling 5,253, succumbed to the cold weather during this period. Furthermore, over 400 homes in rural villages across the country were either partially destroyed.

Efforts are underway to assist those affected by the recent adverse weather conditions, with over 8,000 families receiving support in the form of cash, food, and non-food aid from various national and international organizations according to the Taliban’s Department of Disaster Management.

The inclement weather has also led to the closure of key transportation routes such as the Salang Tunnel in the north and the Kotal Hajigak crossing in Bamyan, as well as highways and roads in several other provinces.

The meteorological department under the Taliban’s administration has issued forecasts predicting significant levels of snow and rain across different regions of the country, with estimates ranging from 15-50 mm of rain and 20-80 cm of snow. Particularly high levels of precipitation are expected in Salang, Nuristan, Kunar, Panjshir, Laghman, and Nangarhar provinces, with snow accumulation potentially reaching up to 100-120 cm and rainfall up to 60-80 mm.