At least four children and a shepherd have died due to unusually cold weather in one of the poorest provinces in Afghanistan, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Provincial governor spokesman Ahmad Jan Hanzala said that the deaths occurred in the Qades district of the north-western province of Badghis.
Three of the victims were infants, between 2 months and 2 years old.
Earlier, reports emerged that nearly a thousand cattle had died due to the freezing weather.
Local residents say that the weather is unusually cold this year compared to over the last two decades. Temperatures have at times fallen to minus 28 degrees Celsius.
Badghis is one of Afghanistan's least-developed provinces where most people lack access to paved roads, health clinics, and other public services.
"There is no electricity. In remote areas, people are burning animal faeces to stay warm," a resident of the province told dpa.
Poverty and cold weather have also caused loss of life and property in several other provinces, although no precise figures were available.
Afghanistan is suffering from one of the world's most extensive and severe humanitarian crises. More than half of the population will require humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations.
The economy was sustained by the international community, but collapsed after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Their oppressive policies mean Afghan women are particularly disadvantaged.
Despite these problems, many international organizations have suspended their humanitarian projects in the war-torn country to protest the Taliban's draconic policies towards women.
