Ruoying Li

The impact of avalanches in Afghanistan

Avalanches in Afghanistan can lead to short-term and long-term effects on physical and mental health, and can indirectly affect health and well-being as a result of the evacuation, social disruption, financial loss, lifestyle change, damage to health-care facilities, and changes to the wider political and socioeconomic context.

Short-term health implications

Physical health

After the avalanche, the patients will be in a clinical cold state, and some patients will have hypothermia and frostbite to varying degrees. Most of the patients who suffered from avalanches were mild or moderate, and 8.6% were severe or critical. Of the 105 avalanche victims, 36 died. According to clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological findings, the causes of death of the remaining six victims have been determined. Two avalanche victims died of trauma (5.6%), cervical fracture, and dislocation. One case died of hypothermia, and the other 33 cases (91.7%) died of asphyxia. Asphyxia is by far the most important cause of death. Isolated cervical spine injury causes trauma, which indicates that the cervical spine may be a particularly dangerous area for avalanche victims.

Long-term health implications

mental health

Avalanche accidents may induce post-traumatic stress disorders, and some survivors presented significant psychological distress, affecting their quality of life. The most common symptoms were intrusive thoughts and feelings, tension, sadness, and anxiety. Sixteen years after an avalanche, a study found 16% of PTSD among survivors, illustrating the long-term persistence of these symptoms.

Other consequences

Effects on healthcare facilities

Avalanches are major natural hazards in snow-covered mountain areas, threatening people and infrastructure. So search and rescue and healthcare providers involved in avalanche rescue face logistical and medical challenges.

Infrastructure damage and rescue blocked

Afghan authorities said it will take them at least three weeks to restore normal power to the capital. Mosques, schools, and at least 100 homes had been ruined in Panjshir province. The sheer depth of snow that buried entire homes and families hampered rescue efforts.

Crop growth in the economic field

The larger the avalanche area is, the closer the sediment is to the village. In particular, 2003 had many avalanche depositional zones that occupied almost 6 % of the surface area of the entire basin. That year was locally noted as having heavy snowfall, and farmers benefited from more snowmelt in the spring, leading to higher-than-average crop yields in 2003.