KARACHI, Pakistan
The ongoing cold weather flanked by heavy snowfall has put 270,000 children in Afghanistan at "serious" risk of contracting life-threatening illnesses, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday.
The UN agency, in a statement, said heavy snowfall has worsened the already critical situation for children affected by last year’s earthquake in eastern Afghanistan as freezing winter temperatures deepen an already dire humanitarian situation.
Prolonged exposure to cold and damp conditions have increased the risk of respiratory infections, hypothermia and other preventable diseases, it added.
Children, the statement said, living in temporary settlements are particularly exposed to rain, snow and poor sanitation, further heightening health risks.
UNICEF also announced that the UK donated £8 million ($10.8 million) to tackle child nutrition in Afghanistan.
At least 11 people have been killed and three others injured over the past two days amid heavy snowfall and rains lashing multiple provinces in Afghanistan.
Extreme weather has affected residents in the provinces of eastern Parwan, Wardak, southern Kandahar, northern Jawzjan, Faryab, and central Bamiyan.
The local meteorological department forecasts that the precipitation will continue across much of the country in the coming days.