The death toll from the cold wave in Afghanistan has risen to at least 166

Weather of Arabia - About 20 days ago, Afghanistan has been under the weight of a severe cold wave that has claimed the lives of at least 166 people, in the worst winter that has passed the country in more than ten years, at a time when some residents described that they were unable to afford fuel costs to heat homes in Temperatures well below freezing.

Abdul Rahman Zahid said that 88 people died within a week, which brings the total death toll so far to 166, based on data from 26 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan.

Zahid explained in a video that the deaths resulted from floods, fires, and leakage in the gas heaters used to heat homes.

And temperatures have dropped to minus 33 degrees in some regions of Afghanistan since the start of the cold wave on January 10. This severe cold is sometimes accompanied by snow or rain that causes ice to form, amid frequent power outages.

Humanitarian aid organizations had warned before the cold wave that more than half of the 38 million people were on the brink of starvation and that four million children were suffering from malnutrition.

The cold also led to the collapse or damage of about a hundred homes and the death of about eighty thousand heads of livestock, which is an essential resource in the very poor country.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization announced this week the death of 17 people in a village in Badakhshan Province (northeast) due to "acute pneumonia".

The organization reported that "difficult weather conditions prevented relief teams from reaching the area."

Also read: A severe cold wave and heavy snow sweeping parts of Asian countries..and the weather of the Arabs explains the scientific reasons