At least 20 killed by severe frost in Afghanistan

16 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least 20 people have died as a result of the severe frosts that have fallen across Afghanistan, in turn affecting thousands of hectares of crops, livestock and hundreds of greenhouses in various provinces.

Many of the victims were herders. The sharp drop in temperatures has also killed some 4,000 Badghís cattle (north), according to the local government spokesman, Ahmad Hanzala.

Meanwhile, in Herat (west), dozens of people have been admitted for hypothermia, some of them were part of a migratory caravan that intended to cross illegally into Iran, says the Tolo News chain.

Among the victims there are also drug addicts who lived on the street. Deaths have been reported in Khost, Faryab, Jawzjan and Sar-e-Pol provinces.

The new cold snap has blocked access points to the most remote areas of Afghanistan, where medicine and food are already in short supply. Winter crops have been severely damaged, especially vegetables, thus further aggravating the food crisis in a country that is the second most affected.