Rouhani condoles with Afghans over recent disasters

"The avalanche incidents in some Afghan provinces, specially in Panjshir Valley, and death and injury of a number of your compatriots was a source of regret," Rouhani said in his message on Saturday night.

President Rouhani sympathized with the Afghan government and nation as well as the bereaved families of those killed by the recent natural disasters over their losses, and wished for God's blessing for the killed ones.

Meantime, the Iranian president voiced Iran's readiness for sending the needed assistance to Afghanistan.

The death toll from severe weather that caused avalanches and flooding across much of Afghanistan has jumped to more than 200 people, and the number is expected to climb with cold weather and difficult conditions hampering rescue efforts, relief workers and United Nations officials said Friday.

The government declared a three-day mourning period, that started Saturday, for the dead.

After days of severe weather across the central and Northeastern provinces, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 229 people dead in at least 18 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, with hundreds more left homeless after avalanches destroyed their homes. Many more remained cut off from help as roads were blocked by deep snow from heavy storms early this week, it said.

Extremely cold temperatures were expected in many parts of the country in coming days, OCHA said.
/SR