Respite from cold snap which has gripped Afghanistan
More than 900 people have now been killed across Afghanistan as the country suffers from one of its harshest ever winters. Below freezing temperatures and bitter snow storms have been gripping the nation since the onset of winter in mid December. At its peak temperatures in the region fell to -22C (-8F); the coldest in more than 30 years.
Nearly half the villages in western Afghanistan have been cut off from the major cities due to heavy snowfall, which reached 2 metres (79 inches) deep in some places. The cold snap has hit the agricultural and livestock industry hard with more than 130,000 cattle now perishing in the freezing temperatures.
Despite the cold spell easing slightly over the past few days, the worst may not yet be over as further snow is expected to fall at the start of next week. With the existing snow beginning to thaw, further storms could lead to widespread flooding and avalanches, creating yet more misery for one of the world’s poorest countries.
