The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has confirmed that at least 157 people have been killed across the country due to the freezing weather.
An Afghan man walks in a snow-covered cemetery in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 11, 2023. Afghanistan’s coldest winter in 15 years has seen temperatures dip as low as -34 degrees Celsius (-29.2 degrees Fahrenheit). REUTERS/Ali Khara
The country is suffering one of its coldest winters, with temperatures plummeting to as low as minus 28 degrees Celsius (minus 18 Fahrenheit) in early January – far below the nationwide average of between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius for this time of year.
While confirming the fatalities, a spokesman for the State Ministry for Disaster Management said that about 70,000 livestock had also perished in what has been deemed as the coldest winter in a decade, reports the BBC.
An Afghan child collects plastic to burn for heat in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 26, 2023. Children rummage through rubbish to help their families, unable to afford wood or coal. REUTERS/Ali Khara
Acting Minister of Disaster Management Mullah Mohammad Abbas Akhund told the BBC that many areas of Afghanistan were now completely cut off by snow; military helicopters had been sent to the rescue, but they couldn’t land in the most mountainous regions.
Ashour Ali, 30, with his children poses for a photograph in his house in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 26, 2023. “This year, the weather is extremely cold and we couldn’t buy coal for ourselves,” he said, adding the small amount he makes from his shop was no longer enough for fuel. REUTERS/Ali KharaAn Afghan woman walks on a snow-covered street on TV mountain in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ali KharaAfghan children play with each other on the snow-covered ground in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ali KharaAn Afghan man holds his child as he walks on a snow-covered street on TV mountain in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ali KharaPeople buy water from a shop on TV mountain in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ali KharaAfghan boys slide down a snow-covered slope in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ali KharaAn Afghan boy carries a sack on his head on a snow-covered street on TV mountain in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ali Khara
