Deadly avalanches

Following heavy snowfall in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in February, at least 120 people were killed by avalanches that destroyed or damaged dozens of homes. In the north-eastern Afghan province of Nuristan, bordering Pakistan, at least 45 people in one village perished under an avalanche. “In the village of Afsye, Bargematal district, 70 houses have been destroyed by the avalanches,” said Muhammad Mahab Khan, head of operations for the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Windstorms and frozen ground slowed rescue efforts and made building provisional shelters a challenge. Just weeks earlier, Italian Red Cross search-and-rescue teams battled dangerous conditions to bring 14 people to safety after a major avalanche engulfed a hotel in Italy’s Pescara province, killing six people.

Related

‘Our techniques are working!’

Following principles of ‘build-back safer’ and ‘build back local’, some communities in Madagascar are boosting their resilience to tropical storms. Some have already passed their first, very severe test: Cyclone Freddy.

This post is also available in:

Discover more stories

Get stories worth sharing delivered to your inbox

Want to stay up to date?

This might interest you...

Rising above the cyclone

How women’s empowerment, cash programs, and resilience training are helping families in the coastal region of Bangladesh to prepare and rebuild their lives in the face of recurrent storms and floods.

Check it out