KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least three children died due to freezing temperatures and snowfall in Badakhshan province, northeastern Afghanistan, on Friday, November 29, local Taliban authorities said.
Hekmatullah Mohammadi, head of the Taliban Information and Culture Department in Badakhshan, said the incident took place in Raghistan district on Friday evening.
The Taliban authority explained that four children, aged between 9 and 12, became trapped in heavy snow and cold while traveling from Nowabad village to their home village of Kalar. He said one of the children tried to reach the village to inform the villagers, but by the time help arrived, the other three children had already passed away.
Over the past few days, parts of Afghanistan, including the mountainous region of Badakhshan and neighboring provinces, have experienced heavy snowfall.
Earlier, the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan Meteorological Department (AMD) had warned of heavy precipitation and flash floods in 24 provinces across the country. The Taliban authorities have urged people to pay attention to the weather conditions and take measures to prevent incidents,
Afghanistan has been battling with incessant heavy rains and snowfall in since last year, resulting in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people in many provinces. It has also claimed the lives of thousands of livestock and caused significant financial losses for the already impoverished population.
Snowfall and rains over the past year have also triggered numerous landslides in several provinces, particularly in the eastern region, resulting in the deaths of dozens, including women and children.
Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries, enduring decades of war, prone to natural disasters, and vulnerable to extreme weather events linked to climate change. According to the UN, over half of the population—nearly 24 million people, most of them women and children—are in need of humanitarian assistance.
