Harsh Afghan winter kills 1 000
2008-02-16 13:43
Kabul - The death toll from Afghanistan's harshest winter in recent living memory has hit 926, an official said on Saturday, adding the figure could rise further as access to remote areas improves with the thawing of snow.
More than 316 000 cattle had perished since the onset of
winter in mid December, Noor Padshah Kohistani of the National
Disaster Management Commission said.
"The figure for human losses stands at 926 today. It could
go higher, for roads have been reopened and we will find
unreported fatalities," he said.
Nearly half of the victims came from western areas and
where more than 90 people have had their fingers or toes
amputated because of frostbite.
A special hospital is dealing with frostbite victims in the
western city of Herat.
Apart from human losses, the deaths of cattle are regarded
as a huge loss for Afghanistan, an agricultural country that
largely relies on foreign aid.
The United Nations World Food Programme last month appealed
for extra food assistance for 2.55 million Afghans until the
next harvest in June.
More snow is expected in coming days in several parts of
the mountainous Central Asian country which may trigger floods
and avalanches.
- Reuters