Freeze killing destitute Afghan refugeesRory McCarthy In Islamabad
FREEZING temperatures have killed 480 refugees in squalid camps in western Afghanistan in the past week and up to 80,000 others are now at risk, the United Nations warned yesterday.
At least 220 children were among the dead in Herat, close to the Iranian border. Heavy snowfalls since Sunday have worsened the effect of night-time temperatures that drop to -30C. Until this week the winter has been dry but mild. Now much of the country has been covered in snow.
International aid to Afghanistan has slowed to a trickle at the same time as the United Nations Security Council has imposed new sanctions on the Taleban regime.
At least 10 per cent of the refugees in Herat suffer from malnourishment. Food aid is providing only one-third of the required calorie intake for each person and families are sharing tents in poor hygienic conditions. Charcoal for cooking and heating is in short supply.
"I think we have to come to terms with the fact that we will see many people die in Afghanistan," said Erick de Mul, the United Nations co-ordinator for Afghanistan.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes in the past year in the face of the worst drought in 30 years and fighting between the Taleban and opposition forces.
Up to 600 people are still arriving every day at Herat’s camps. More than 100,000 have fled to Mazar-e-Sharif, the main northern city, another 84,000 have crossed to the province of Takhar in the north-east and 10,000 are camped on islands in the River Amu Darya, hoping to cross into Tajikistan.
In Bamiyan, in central Afghanistan, another 50,000 have gathered and 60,000 have flocked to Kandahar, the Taleban headquarters in the south.
Many refugees sold their houses and their farming equipment in one last desperate act before leaving home. "Most Afghans have lost everything," Mr de Mul said. "In order to survive over the past couple of years they have had to sell all their possessions."
More than 154,000 refugees have crossed into Pakistan since September and live in poor conditions in camps, with Islamabad keen to push them back into Afghanistan.
"In past years the response to the needs of the Afghan people has never been sufficient so we have an accumulation of a deficit leading to a situation of total desperation," Mr de Mul said.
The United Nations asked for £2.3 million to feed and clothe the Herat refugees. So far just £130,000 has been donated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was hungry and ye . . . .?
