Off the wire
• Roundup: Cyprus dismisses reports about Russian military facilities for loan  • 2nd LD: Explosions hit motor park in central north Nigerian city of Jos : witnesses  • Sudan's Bashir says to quit power if not re-elected president  • Federer, Djokovic in semi-finals, Murray out at Dubai open  • 1st LD: Bombs hit motor park in central north Nigerian city of Jos: witnesses  • Latvia might join OECD in spring 2016: Foreign Ministry  • Urgent: Explosion hits motor park in central north Nigerian city of Jos : witness  • Kenya to hold wildlife festival to raise awareness of protection  • Croatia to introduce reforms to prevent macroeconomic imbalances  • Hotels in Riga see number of tourists grow 15.6 pct in 2014  
You are here: 　 Home

UN chief "deeply saddened" by loss of life in Afghanistan's avalanches

Xinhua, February 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said Thursday that he is "deeply saddened" by the loss of life in a series of avalanches in parts of Afghanistan over the past week.

Local officials said the death toll of Afghanistan's recent avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall has risen above 200.

Several parts of the country, particularly the northeastern province of Panjshir, which is about 100 km from the Afghan capital Kabul, have been affected by the heavy snowfall and rains with hundreds of houses damaged.

In a statement released by Ban's spokesperson, the UN chief said UN agencies have responded quickly to support the government of Afghanistan in providing assistance for the displaced and to bolster contingency planning to increase the resilience of families and communities in the longer term.

The war-torn country has been vulnerable to natural disasters like avalanches, landslides and floods. This year's avalanches have been seen as the worst in 30 years. Endite