Weather Warnings and Fuel Crisis; Afghanistan on the Verge of a Humanitarian Disaster

The Taliban’s Meteorological Department has warned of heavy snowfall and heavy rain in 28 provinces of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, rising fuel prices, unemployment, and widespread poverty have diminished people’s ability to cope with the winter cold, putting the lives of millions at serious risk.

The Meteorological Department of the Taliban Ministry of Transport and Aviation has issued a warning about potential snowfall and rain in 28 provinces of Afghanistan.

In a statement, it mentioned that provinces such as Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Urozgan, Ghor, Badghis, Faryab, Jowzjan, Sar-e-Pol, Bamyan, Daykundi, Paktika, Ghazni, Paktia, Khost, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Samangan, Balkh, Kunduz, Baghlan, Parwan, Kabul, Panjshir, and Badakhshan will experience heavy snowfall, intense rain, and flash floods tomorrow, Wednesday, January 3.

The snow is expected to accumulate between 10 to 50 centimeters, and rainfall will range from 15 to 40 millimeters.

Many people in Afghanistan report that the price of fuel in the markets has increased, and due to unemployment and widespread poverty, they cannot afford to buy it.

In the harsh winter cold, many people who cannot afford fuel have said that they are embracing barrels of warm water to stay warm with their children. They claim that by collecting some twigs and dry grass, they heat water for these barrels.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees had warned before the onset of winter that this year’s harsh winter could threaten the lives of millions of people in Afghanistan.