Afghans dance on rooftops welcoming rain

Meanwhile, some Afghans in the southern region of Kandahar were dancing on rooftops on Tuesday as rain fell for the first time in months, a UN spokesperson told IRIN. UN officials confirmed to IRIN that rain had fallen in Afghanistan’s western Farah province, in Kandahar in the southern region, and in Faryab and Jawzjan provinces in the northern region. A report from the UN regional coordinator for Kandahar province, Leslie Oqvist, said people were dancing on rooftops early on Tuesday morning welcoming the first drops of rain the region had seen since February. Oqvist also reported rain in Shindand in the western province of Farah. He said the rainy season normally started in December and it was “highly unusual” to receive rain at this early stage of November. In another report, Farhana Faruqi, the regional coordinating officer in Mazar-e-sharif, said that Andkhoy district in the northern Faryab province, and Shebirghan district in the northern Jawzjan province received rain, but said “it is not yet clear if the rain is heavy and whether locals view it enough to break the cycle of drought for them, especially in view of the winter crop”.