Pak sends relief goods for avalanche-hit Afghans

Pakistan today sent two military planes with relief goods to extend support to the avalanche-hit areas of Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked authorities to dispatch the relief goods, following which two C 130 military planes were sent carrying essential food items, tents, blankets, and medicines, Foreign Office said in a statement.
The relief goods were received at Kabul Airport by Head of Shura-e-Panjsher, General Din Muhammad Jurat, and Director General of Afghan Disaster Management Authority Muhammad Daim Kakar, along with senior government officials.
Expressing sympathy to the victims, the Prime Minister said that people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with their Afghan brethren as they brave this tragic natural disaster.

He also offered all possible relief assistance to Afghanistan to help mitigate the suffering of victims of the natural calamity.
More than 250 people have been killed in a series of avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall around Afghanistan this week.

Deadly avalanches are common in Afghanistan's mountainous areas in winter.
Rescue efforts after disasters such as avalanches and flash floods, which often hit as snows melt in the spring, are frequently hampered by lack of equipment.
Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for rescue teams to reach isolated areas.