Last Friday, in Afghanistan's mountainous northeastern province of Badakhshan, an enormous landslide took place, burying much of a small village, and killing hundreds. Officials say that at least 300 residents of Abi Barik village were killed, but are uncertain about exact numbers, cautioning that the final number could be 500 or more. Rescue teams gave up hope on Saturday of finding any survivors, focusing energy on helping the hundreds suddenly made homeless. Many of the surviving families have struggled to get aid. Some have gone to nearby villages to stay with relatives or friends, while others have slept in tents provided by aid groups.

A man flies a kite made of 110 Tukkal or paper lanterns for the Hindu festival of “Makar Sankranti”, which marks the start of spring, in Ahmedabad January 13, 2011. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)

A woman views the Mummy of Meresamun in the Ashmolean Museum's new exhibition of artifacts from ancient Egypt and Nubia on November 23, 2011 in Oxford, England. The new gallery is displaying for the first time in decades some of the finest Egyptian and Nubian artifacts in the UK. The Egyptian collection opens to the public from November 26, 2011. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

The Sydney Skyline is seen before the lights are switched off for Earth Hour on March 26, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. Earth Hour encourages individuals around the world to turn off their lights for one hour at 20:30 local time on March 26, 2011 to take a stand against climate change. The largest Earth Hour was in 2010 when 128 countries participated.

A visitor to ''The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900'' exhibition at The V&A Museum looks at sculptures by Thornycroft (L) and Watts on March 30, 2011 in London, England. This exhibition brings together for the first time many masterpieces in painting, sculpture, design and furniture as well as fashion and literature and runs from April 2nd to July 17th 2011.

Andy Swan “Zippy the Clown” from Sacramento, California, drives his “elelphant” car during a break at the 2011 Clowns of America International Convention on April 15, 2011 in Anaheim, California. Several hundred clowns, from all over the United States and from as far as Puerto Rico and Germany, are attending the convention to compete in skits and hone their skills in the art of balloon-making and face-painting. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Bonhams expert Michaela Vergottis holds a yellow Jade Chinese Imperial Sceptre on May 9, 2011 in London, England. The piece which is thought to have been taken by British Troups during the Boxer Rebellion is expected to fetch between £800,000 – 1.2 M GBP when it goes on sale at the “Chinese Art” sale at Bonham's auction house on May 12, 2011. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)