Extreme winter conditions across Afghanistan have killed more than 70 people in recent weeks, as heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures overwhelmed communities already weakened by hunger, poverty, and the collapse of livelihoods.
Sub-zero temperatures and blocked roads have left families without access to food, heating, or medical care. For many, the cold has not been the only threat — hunger has emerged as an equally deadly factor.
The recent case of a young girl detained for working while disguised as a boy has underscored how survival itself has been criminalized. In her forced confession, the girl said her only reason for working was to feed and protect her sisters — a reality faced by countless Afghan households.
Aid workers and residents say many families entered winter with no savings, no income, and no social safety net after Taliban restrictions eliminated women’s employment and shut down small businesses.
Earlier, localized flooding in parts of western Afghanistan had already exposed weaknesses in disaster response. Now, winter conditions have magnified those failures, revealing the absence of effective preparedness, emergency coordination, or public communication.
Observers say hunger, cold, and governance failure are no longer separate crises but interconnected forces pushing vulnerable Afghans toward catastrophe.
