UN says 145 'presumed dead' in Afghanistan avalanche

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At least 145 people are missing and "presumed dead" after an avalanche hit a remote village in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province last week, the United Nations said on Saturday.

Afghan officials had earlier in the day put the death toll from a series of avalanches in the province's Shekay district at 56.

The UN said an avalanche in the area on March 4 claimed 50 lives and warned of severe flooding over coming weeks due to melting snow.

Afghanistan's harshest winter in 15 years has claimed scores of lives, with the avalanches taking the toll to more than 90 in the mountainous province of Badakhshan alone, according to officials.

Rescue teams have so far been unable to reach the disaster-hit areas.

"Access to Dispay village is possible only by road from neighbouring Tajikistan but it has been severely hampered by snow-blocked roads," the UN's Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan said in a statement.

"Helicopter access is not possible as there is a high risk of triggering further avalanches."

Zabiullah Atiq, who heads the Badakhshan provincial council, told AFP that policemen and people from neighbouring villages were trying to dig out possible survivors.

The Geneva-based Agha Khan Foundation, the UN Food Programme and the US embassy have donated food and medicines to the affected families.

The relief agency IOM said it was dispatching "120 winter kits containing warm clothes, blankets, winter boots... to aid the survivors", while a local partner was providing tents, plastic sheeting, shovels and pickaxes.

Dispay, a village of around 200 people, was buried after days of heavy snowfall were followed by a rise in temperature, officials said.

"Rising temperatures this week and snow predicted for next week in Badakhshan puts the region at high risk of further avalanches", said Marco Boasso, IOM's Chief of mission and special envoy to Afghanistan.

"When the snow begins to melt, there will be floods. We are on stand by to respond to any further incidents," he added.

The UN warned the tragedy in Dispay is "likely to be one of many in the near future".

According to IMMAP, a data-analysis and mapping company, 15 percent of Afghanistan’s population is at high risk of being affected by flooding this spring.

Despite the billions of dollars in aid from the international community after the collapse of the Taliban, Afghanistan remains among the poorest nations in the world, weakened by decades of conflict.