Cold weather leaves 37 people dead in Afghanistan (Roundup)

Feb 5, 2008, 11:35 GMT

Kabul - A provincial governor said on Tuesday that heavy snowfall and cold weather left at least 37 people dead in the southern Afghan province of Ghazni, while the United Nations called for an end to attacks against food convoys destined for 'the most vulnerable communities.'

'Over the past 24 hours, 37 people including some 20 children were killed due to cold weather in the province,' Ghazni provincial governor Faizullah Faizan said.

He said some of the people died en route to health centres after their vehicles were blocked by snow.

Heavy snowfall closed many roads linking the capital city to remote areas, making it difficult for emergency aid workers to reach the needy people.

Faizan called on the central government and international organizations to air drop food and winter kits to the mountainous areas as they are difficult to reach them by roads.

The Afghan military said in a statement that armed forces along with police forces rescued more than 1,000 university students who were trapped in a road blockage caused by heavy snow in Jaghori district of Ghazni.

The harsh winter this year has already left more than 300 people dead, mainly in western provinces, while tens of thousands of animals also perished in the cold weather.

Meanwhile, the United Nations in Afghanistan appealed for an end to attacks on aid convoys and called on all parties involved in fighting to give safe passage to UN food convoys to reach the vulnerable people in the country.

The call was made at a press conference in the western province of Herat which has witnessed harsh weather for the past several weeks, causing the death of dozens of people and thousands of animals.

'United Nations agencies joined forces today to appeal for an end to attacks against aid workers and humanitarian convoys delivering food, medicine and warm clothing to Afghanistan's most vulnerable communities,' the UN said in a statement.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement that 410 tons of food had been looted by criminal gangs in the western region in nine attacks on food convoys over the past year alone.

There had also been three rocket attacks against UN humanitarian facilities in Herat and public threats to attack staff working for the United Nations, it said.

Heavy snowfall in recent weeks and a dramatic rise in food prices have put thousands of Afghan families at risk in Herat province.

'We need all parties to recognise that the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people must come first, above fighting and above politics,' it added.