01/18/2023 2:58 pm (act. 01/18/2023 02:58 pm)
Winter is becoming more and more of a threat in Afghanistan ©APA/AFP
Extremely low temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees have claimed the lives of 70 people in Afghanistan this winter. Spokesperson for national disaster management reported on Wednesday. Afghan media also reported on the deadly effects of winter in combination with the prevailing economic crisis. According to the United Nations, the “extremely cold weather” also killed thousands of livestock in many parts of the country.
According to meteorologists, temperatures could drop further in the coming days. Cold winters are not uncommon in Afghanistan, but temperatures are particularly dropping this year. In the capital Kabul, temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees were reported on some days. Residents of the capital reported frozen water pipes. Heavy snow blocked main roads in many places, as well as informing disaster management.
Then there is the prevailing economic crisis, intensified by sanctions against the militant Islamist Taliban. Many organizations also suspended their relief work there for a few weeks after the Taliban banned Afghan women from working for relief organizations at the end of the year. Extreme weather could affect Afghanistan even more frequently in the future, as the country is one of the most threatened by climate change.