At the beginning of January, the temperature in Afghanistan dropped to -28 degrees. That is well below the national average of between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius for this time of year.
Due to the extreme cold and the lack of humanitarian aid, the number of deaths has doubled in less than a week, reports CNN. About 70,000 animals would also have frozen to death.
The UN humanitarian agency announced via Twitter on Sunday that it would provide blankets, heating and shelter to some 565,700 people in Afghanistan. “But because of one of the coldest winters in years, much more is needed,” the organization writes.
From a recent rapport the aid organization shows that an estimated 28.3 million people in Afghanistan urgently need humanitarian aid to survive.
Earlier, the Taliban imposed a work ban on female aid workers. As a result, a number of aid organizations were forced to suspend their activities in Afghanistan.
Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, described the Taliban’s policy as a violation of women’s fundamental human rights.
“Afghanistan – in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis – is isolating itself as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change,” Mohammed said in a statement. “We must do everything we can to bridge this gap.”
