KABUL, Afghanistan — Severe weather, including storms, heavy snowfall, and rain, has claimed the lives of at least nine people across Afghanistan’s northern and eastern regions during the first half of January, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In Kunar, Laghman, and Nuristan provinces, heavy rainfall and snowfall on January 2 damaged homes and caused road traffic accidents along the Kabul-Jalalabad highway. These incidents resulted in five fatalities and injuries to 17 others, OCHA reported on Tuesday.
In Faryab province, extreme cold temperatures in Kohistan district on January 4 led to the deaths of two individuals. In Baghlan province, heavy snowfall and freezing conditions claimed three lives in Andarab district as of January 5.
The U.N., in collaboration with local authorities and humanitarian partners, is actively assessing the needs of affected families and prioritizing the delivery of emergency assistance. Relief efforts include providing food, winter supplies, and shelter materials to communities hardest hit by the harsh weather.
The fatalities underscore Afghanistan’s increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events, which are exacerbated by the country’s ongoing humanitarian and economic crises. Poor infrastructure, widespread poverty, and limited resources to combat harsh winters leave communities particularly susceptible to such conditions.
