2012 Afghanistan avalanches

On March 4, 2012, at least three avalanches struck the Badakhshan province of northeastern Afghanistan.^[1] One of those avalanches destroyed a small village of about 200 people. The name of the village is uncertain; some sources call it Dasty and locate it in Darzab District,^[1] and others call it Sherin Nazim and locate it in Shekay District.^[2][3] Two other villages were affected by the avalanche.^[3] At least 50 people were killed in the disaster.^[4]

Most buildings in the village, which was home to 24 families, were completely engulfed in snow.^[2][4] As of March 7, 50 people had been confirmed dead, with only 7 known survivors.^[5] Of the survivors, three were away fetching water at the time of the avalanche and thus survived uninjured.^[5] Seven people were found alive in the village, but three perished due to lack of medical attention.^[5] The remaining survivors were taken to the nearest hospital, in Tajikistan, for treatment.^[2] It is believed that most or all of the town's remaining residents are dead.^[5][6]

The village affected by the avalanches was so remote that it took a full day for news of the disaster to reach Fayzabad, the province's capital.^[2] There are no roads in the affected area and people there generally travel on foot or horseback.^[2] Nearby villages offered what help they could, but outside rescue workers did not arrive on the scene until March 6 or 7, walking two days to get there.^[2][5] People from Darwaz District and twenty-five aid workers from Tajikistan were the first outside rescuers to arrive.^[4][5] Their progress toward the affected area was slowed by another avalanche.^[4] An aircraft carrying aid workers and journalists was unable to reach the region due to bad weather, while two Afghan Army helicopters managed to bring some aid workers into the region.^[4] Governor Shah Waliullah Adeeb tried to visit the disaster area himself, but was caught in yet another avalanche on the way and had to be rescued by helicopter.^[2]

Conditions remained extremely hazardous in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.^[2] The risk of melting snow causing widespread flooding continues^[when?] to threaten a larger-scale disaster for the Northern Afghanistan.^[4] A flood could spread disease and ruin farm land.^[4]

Several days of heavy snowfall were followed by a rise in temperature, created ideal conditions for avalanches.^[3] This was part of a larger pattern of a harshest winter in 15 years.^[6] The New York Times cited the government being "woefully unprepared" to deal with natural disasters as a contributing factor.^[4] In recent years, snow has regularly cut off remote villages, making it difficult to deliver medical supplies to where they are needed. As a result, pneumonia rates have risen.^[4] More than 200 people have been killed by avalanches in Afghanistan this winter, including at least 80 in the Badakhshan province.^[1][3]

The United Nations had flown in tons of food and medical supplies the previous fall as part of a strategy for coping with the region's harsh winters. The aid did not appear to have helped.^[4] Three days after the disaster Fawzia Koofi, a member of parliament, remarked "so far there is no medicine, no food, no rescue yet in the area."^[4] Koofi continued by saying there should have been adequate supplies in the area and that government needed to explain how the system failed its people.^[4]

The United States Embassy in Kabul sent its condolences and arranged for supplies to be transferred to the affected region.^[1]