The Ministry of Disaster Management of Afghanistan confirmation that at least 70 people and tens of thousands of cattle have perished due to freezing temperatures around the country as Afghans struggle with a cold spell amid a humanitarian crisis.
According to the ministry in a statement on Wednesday January 18, 70,000 cattle and 70 people have died in the past week.
Afghanistan has seen unusually cold weather for the past two weeks, with the central district of Ghor recording the lowest temperature of -33C (-27F) over the weekend.
“This winter is by far the coldest in recent years,” said Mohammad Nasim Muradi, the head of Afghanistan’s meteorology office.
“We expect the cold wave to continue for another week or more,” Muradi added.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, expressed his “deepest condolences to the relatives and families” of the victims.
“We are saddened to hear that a number of our citizens have lost their lives due to severe cold in some provinces,” Mujahid wrote on Twitter.
He added that “relevant agencies and officials are instructed to help the affected families as much as possible and to use all their possibilities to prevent more casualties”
It is Afghanistan’s second winter under Taliban rule since United States-led forces withdrew from power in August 2021. The country is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, with more than half of the population of 38 million facing food shortages.
The situation has gotten worse as a result of western sanctions and the Taliban government’s international isolation.
A Taliban government decision prohibiting women from working with humanitarian organizations, with the exception of the health sector, prompted several NGOs still operating in Afghanistan to cease their operations last month in protest.
The Taliban has also banned girls from attending schools and universities.
Following Taliban authorities’ assurances that women will be permitted to work, some aid agencies said they resumed operations.
Author-Roberta Appiah
