Afghanistan has been gripped by severe cold and heavy snowfall in recent days, leaving dozens dead and forcing impoverished families to battle dire survival conditions amid poverty and lack of shelter.
Authorities said Saturday that heavy snow and rain have killed at least 61 people and left more than 110 others with weather‑related health problems across the country.
Twenty-five‑year‑old Kabul resident Paiz makes a living selling street food, working tirelessly to earn a meager 200 Afghanis (about three U.S. dollars). This winter in Kabul has been exceptionally cold, yet Paiz keeps working at his food stall, the only source of income for his family.
"It's freezing now, with ice underfoot and a biting chill in the air. I set up my stall every morning at nine and work until around seven or eight at night. I have to work every single day. If I take a day off, if I don't work, there's no food for my family of nine. No matter how cold it gets, I have to earn a meal for my family. There's no one else at home who can bring in money," he said.
The cold weather has piled further hardship on the impoverished family, with firewood and fuel costs straining their meager income. Their iron‑sheet home offers little insulation, leaving the elderly and children often ill.
"The room is freezing cold. My daughter is sick, but I can't afford to buy her medicine. It's very difficult for me to decide whether I should use my 200 Afghanis daily income to pay the rent first, buy medicine for my child, or keep my family fed," said Paiz.
Paiz said many families are struggling with the same survival challenges amid the unusually cold winter, with the elderly and children hit hardest. As temperatures drop further, impoverished households urgently need support to endure.
Afghans face deadly winter as cold, poverty deepen survival crisis
An official of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has condemned Israel for demolishing the buildings within the UN agency's East Jerusalem compound.
Israeli authorities stormed the Sheikh Jarrah compound of UNRWA last week. After a full day of demolition, all buildings inside the compound had been flattened or severely damaged. Israeli flags were seen raised at the site, while the United Nations (UN) flag had been taken down.
Olaf Becker, director of UNRWA affairs in Jordan, said the Israeli action gravely violates international law and poses challenges to the operations of UN agencies.
Expressing his deep concerns over Israel's unilateral action, Becker said UNRWA will continue its work in the region and make every effort to ensure that basic public services for Palestinian refugees are not interrupted.
"It's obviously in contravention to international law. It's in contravention to Israel's obligations under the UN Charter as well. While Sheikh Jarrah is highly symbolic, and of course it really impedes our ability for our leadership to operate and coordinate activities. We have offices around the West Bank as well, and we are still operational in those places," Becker said.
Following the demolition, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the compound "does not enjoy any immunity", and that the action complied with the law.
In response, Becker said Israel's denial of the privileges and immunity of UN agencies would directly undermine the legal foundation of the UN system, warning long-term impacts on UN agencies' ability to independently and effectively fulfill their duties within the framework of international law in the Middle East and globally, and worrying consequences for the UN and the multilateral system.
Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital, a claim not recognized internationally, while the UN regards East Jerusalem as occupied territory. Israeli officials have long accused UNRWA of employing Hamas members, which the agency denies.
In October 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a law banning UNRWA, which provides desperately-needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and other areas, from operating in areas under Israeli jurisdiction, and prohibiting Israeli authorities from maintaining contact or cooperation with the agency, a move UNRWA and international bodies say violates international law. Israel then amended the law in December 2025 to ban electricity or water to UNRWA facilities.
Last month, Israeli authorities seized UNRWA's offices in East Jerusalem.
UNRWA official condemns Israeli demolition of agency’s buildings in East Jerusalem
