KABUL, Feb 1: Snow blanketed Kabul for the first time in years on Friday, raising spirits by bringing hope for an end to four years of withering drought in Afghanistan.

Snow started falling after dawn and quickly piled up in open areas of the capital. It finally ended in the middle of the afternoon, white flakes replacing the choking dust that normally envelopes the city.

Afghanistan’s devastating drought has compounded problems in a country plagued by more than two decades of war.

Residents of Kabul say if it snows in the capital, it generally means snow in the mountains as well — which will freeze and provide much needed spring melt for next season’s crops.

The unusual weather drew scores of children to the streets, who built snowmen and then pelted each other with snowballs.

But while it was fun for some, the cold weather brought more misery for hundreds of thousands of people living in temporary shelters in the city.

“We want to appeal to countries and societies to help us. We need clothes and food,” said Ali, one of thousands of displaced people who have taken over deserted buildings at the Russian embassy compound.

The United Nations, which is running a big humanitarian relief operation in Afghanistan, cancelled its flights from Pakistan because of the weather.

The World Food Programme, which is feeding more than six million Afghans, said the weather was also likely to affect its distribution of supplies.

“The weather is good and bad,” a spokesman said. “In the long term it is good for the country, but winter is the hardest time for the needy.”

Kabul’s legion of beggars wrapped themselves up against the weather but still took their usual positions outside mosques - always lucrative after Friday prayers.

The Internet site www.weather.com had not forecast snow for Afghanistan on Friday, but did say snow was expected early next week and temperatures expected to plunge to below minus 20 degrees Celsius, with highs of zero Celsius.—Reuters