At least 80 people have died in freezing conditions in Afghanistan in the last nine days, to the Taliban-run ministry for disaster management. The drop in temperatures comes as millions of Afghans are in need of basic facilities.
Sources from different provinces said that the casualties are higher than reported. According to Amu’s findings, at least 18 people, including nine men, five women, and four children, have died in Jawzjan.
Taliban said the deaths happened in Ghazni, Nimroz, Ghor, Paktika Herat, Kandahar, and Faryab provinces. One person was injured.
More than 70,000 livestock have also died in Badghis, Jawzjan, Sar-e-Pul, and Faryab provinces amidst freezing winter.
Most of the deaths have happened due to a lack of facilities for families to heat their homes. Some have died on the way to the hospital due to road closures.
Mursal, the mother of three children, said she lives under a tent in the suburbs of Firozkoh city, the center of Ghor province in western Afghanistan.
Mursal said extreme cold killed one of her daughters, Zahra, three days ago.
Zahar was two years old and died on Tuesday, Jan. 18, her mother said.
“My daughter died in front of my eyes. Her younger brothers and sisters also witnessed how she died. I am afraid of losing my other children. I have no food to eat and no fuel to heat (the tent),” said Mursal.
This comes as at least half of aid agencies have temporarily stopped their activities in Afghanistan after the Taliban ban on female aid workers. Three of these agencies, including CARE and Save the Children, have resumed part of their activities, particularly in nutrition and healthcare.
