Dire Consequences: Afghanistan's Harsh Winter Claims Lives of Children and Livestock Amidst Aid Crisis

Afghanistan is facing one of the harshest winters in over a decade, and it is causing immense suffering among its population, particularly its children. The cold snap has led to over 200 deaths from hypothermia and over 225,000 head of livestock perishing from the cold, according to the Afghan authorities. The plummeting temperatures are also exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis, leaving millions of people grappling with malnutrition, disease, and untreated injuries. Hospitals and clinics are overwhelmed, and international aid has been hampered by the Taliban government’s ban on female workers.

For Niaz Mohammad, a father of three, the cold has had tragic consequences. He tried to keep his family warm with whatever resources he could gather, but the cold winds and icy conditions proved too much for his 2-month-old son. Despite his best efforts, his son succumbed to hypothermia, leaving Mohammad shattered. “The cold took him,” he told journalists from The New York Times, tears streaming down his face.

The situation in Afghanistan is particularly challenging as the Taliban administration has barred women from working in most local and international aid organizations, forcing many to suspend operations. While humanitarian officials have been in talks with the government to reverse the ban, the Taliban’s top leadership appears unwilling to budge. The aid community is now divided over what to do, with some considering shutting off aid to millions in need, while others are trying to continue without women in their ranks, greatly reducing their agencies’ reach.

The Afghan Ministry of Disaster Management is working to provide some food and cash assistance, but reaching far-flung communities has been challenging, particularly as financial sanctions from foreign governments have hampered the response. While some nongovernmental organizations have secured exemptions to the ban in certain provinces, many donors have balked at the authorities’ discrimination against women, leading some to consider cutting most funding for Afghanistan in response.

In Niaz Mohammad’s village, in the Qadis district of northwestern Afghanistan, the low temperatures have compounded the already precarious living conditions. The district center in Qadis is home to just 4,000 families, living in low, mud-brick homes webbed by dirt alleys. In recent years, the province has suffered from a crippling drought that wilted fields and famished farm animals, as well as an earthquake that razed entire villages. After the Western-backed government collapsed, many men in Qadis left for economic hubs looking for work, but few found it.

Now, the harsh winter is pushing the town to the brink, with the health clinic flooded with patients every day suffering from pneumonia, cold-related ailments, and injuries. Taza Gul, a resident of Qadis, lost her husband to the cold when he fell on his way to the outhouse at night and could not get up. As she brushed the snow off him, she saw one arm and one leg had turned blackish-blue; he died soon after. The situation in Afghanistan is dire, and urgent action is needed to prevent more loss of life.