Afghan citizens in several provinces have expressed serious concerns over their lack of access to fuel, fearing the coming days of severe cold.
Sediqa, a resident of Faryab, shares that she lost one of her children due to an inability to afford medical treatment. “I have nothing. I work as a laborer in people’s homes. The winter is very harsh, and we warm our house by collecting trash,” she says.
Saifuddin, a resident of Nuristan, says that the cold weather and lack of fuel have made life difficult for him. “The weather is cold, and there are many problems. We have economic difficulties, no livestock, and no gas or wood. We bring in shrubs and warm the house with them.”
Shekiba, another resident of Faryab, also said, “I have six children. I work in people’s homes and manage to get by with that money. The cold and lack of fuel have made my children sick.”
These people are appealing to the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate and humanitarian organizations to provide them with winter assistance.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently reported that in the past two weeks, 10 people have died across five provinces of Afghanistan.
OCHA added that these deaths were caused by cold weather or traffic accidents resulting from snowfall.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also stated that, due to budget shortages, it will only be able to assist 6 million people this winter.
Ziauddin Safi, spokesperson for WFP, says, “This year, one-third of Afghanistan’s population needs food assistance, and currently, 15 million people require help this winter. However, for food and fuel, we can only assist 6 million.”
In addition to the loss of life and financial damage, the heavy rainfall and flooding in recent months have further burdened Afghan citizens.
