Afghan refugees shiver at another deadly winter

Hundreds of families living in makeshift shelters around the Afghan capital collected blankets, charcoal and other supplies on Wednesday as authorities struggle to avoid a repeat of last winter’s deaths.

With temperatures dropping to -10 degrees Celsius at night in Kabul, the 35,000 refugees who live in snow-covered camps face a battle to survive dire conditions protected only by plastic sheeting.

Despite Afghanistan receiving billions of dollars of aid since 2001, more than 100 children died last year during the harshest winter in two decades, and the UN refugee agency UNHCR has co-ordinated efforts to reduce repeat fatalities.

“Last year was the worst, and the weather is again turning bad,” Sayed Ullah, 40, said as he lined up for a large package containing tarpaulins, cooking oil fortified with vitamins and warm clothing for adults and children.

“I live in some ruins with my wife and four children, and we don’t have any heat or enough food,” said Ullah, who was maimed in a mine explosion several years ago that left him missing several fingers.

“We fled to Kabul from Logar province due to the violence and I have no income except for just a bit of labouring work. We need help to get through the winter.”

UNHCR said it had funded and organised distribution of aid to more than 32,000 “internally displaced” families across the country since November and that 240,000 Afghans would receive winter assistance through its scheme.