Afghanistan
Afghanistan battles deadly winter
Extremely low temperatures have already claimed the lives of 70 people in Afghanistan this winter. This was reported by the spokesman for the national disaster management of the German Press Agency on Wednesday.
Published: 11 minutes ago
ARCHIVE – Due to the extremely low temperatures, 70 people have already lost their lives in Afghanistan. Photo: Oliver Weiken/dpa
Afghan media had also reported on the deadly effects of the winter in combination with the prevailing economic crisis. The news channel Amu TV reported 32 deaths on Monday. According to the United Nations, the “bitter cold weather” has also killed thousands of livestock in many parts of the country. According to meteorologists, temperatures could drop even further in the coming days.
Cold winters are not uncommon in Afghanistan, but temperatures are falling particularly low this year. In Kabul, temperatures of down to minus 20 degrees were reported on some days. Residents of the capital reported to the dpa about frozen water pipes. Heavy snow has blocked the main roads in many places, as the disaster management also reported.
Then there is the prevailing economic crisis, intensified by sanctions against the militant Islamist Taliban. Many organizations have also suspended their relief work on the ground a few weeks after the Taliban banned Afghan women from working for relief organizations at the end of the year. Extreme weather could pose even more problems for Afghanistan in the future, as the country is one of the countries most threatened by climate change. Afghanistan itself has hardly contributed to global emissions. (SDA)