Extreme cold kills 16 people in different provinces

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of State for Disaster Management says 16 people have died from extreme cold in four provinces amid reports that thousands of animals have also perished.

The cold wave has gripped many provinces over the past few days and the temperature is expected to fall to minus 35 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country by the end of this week.

Mullah Janan Saiq, emergency operations center head at the Ministry of State for Disaster Management, said in a video that 16 people lost their lives in Badghis, Faryab, Nimroz and Ghazni provinces due to the cold weather and snow in the past few days.

According to him, about 2,000 animals also died due to extreme cold.

Saiq said the ministry had directed all its provincial departments to deliver food, non-food items and money to the affected areas in cooperation with organizations.

He said the ministry dispatched 15 types of food and non-food items to Faryab, Nimroz, Badakhshan, Kunar, Nuristan and some other vulnerable provinces as part of future preparations.

Relevant departments in the said provinces have been tasked with taking urgent action when needed and keeping the ministry abreast.

A Pajhwok report said the cold snap killed two women and a child in northern Jawzjan province during the past five days and killed around 3,500 animals.

According to another Pajhwok report, two people died and 1556 animals froze to death in Sari Pul province.

Many impoverished families lack resources to protect themselves from cold in the country.

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