Hundreds die from the bitter cold in Afghanistan
 
Kabul, Feb 4, IRNA-IINA-OANA -- Some 600 Afghans have died because of
the bitter cold, aggravated by hunger and poverty, in refugee camps to
which they have fled as a result of the war that is raging in their
country.
    Temperatures in camps have reportedly gone as low as minus 25
degrees celsius and the majority of the casualties are women and
children.
    The United Nations had warned of worsening conditions in the
country, particularly due to the drought, war, continued poverty
and scarcity of food.
    Over 80,000 refugees now inhabit the Herat area, with continued
drought threatening the lives of not less than 20,000 of these.
    About a million Afghans have left their homes heading for
western Afghanistan, while another 100,000 have fled to Pakistan
in the last four months alone.
    The UN has appealed to charity organizations in the world to
donate food and other relief aid in order to save the famine-stricken
people of Afghanistan.