AFGHANISTAN: REFUGEES APPEAL FOR MORE SUPPLIES AS FIRST WINTER SNOW FALLS ON KABUL.

Record ID: 275366

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: REFUGEES APPEAL FOR MORE SUPPLIES AS FIRST WINTER SNOW FALLS ON KABUL.
  • Date: 1st February 2002
  • Summary: (W3) KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FEBRUARY 1, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: SNOW FALLING ON HOUSES INSIDE THE OLD RUSSIAN EMBASSY COMPOUND 0.06 2. MV: AFGHAN BOY WITH SACK ON HIS HEAD 0.10 3. GV: SNOW FALLING ON HOUSES ON A HILL 0.16 4. GV: MAN ON A BICYCLE 0.23 5. GV: SNOW FALLING ON STREET OF DESTROYED BUILDING 0.28 6.
  • Embargoed: 16th February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Reuters ID: LVAD4MY9WJAHD85XWP5SW5KLNM2I
  • Story Text: Thousands of Afghan refugees have made an appeal for
    more food, clothes and winter supplies as the first heavy snow
    for the year fell on the capital Kabul.



    Snow blanketed the Afghan capital on Friday (February
    1), raising hopes for an end to a withering drought.

    Snow started falling after dawn on the Muslim holy day,
    and quickly piled up in open areas of Kabul. It was still
    falling steadily by midday.

    Afghan child refugees living in the old Russian embassy
    compound were among those who welcomed the snow.

    "We are playing in the snow ... we throw snowballs at each
    other. It's fun," said Bahrudin.

    There are around 50,000 refugees living in the compound
    which has been abandoned for years.

    Refugees, mainly Pashtuns from the Shomali plains in the
    north, have appealed for international aid.

    "We want to appeal to countries and societies to help us,
    to help the refugees in these 25 blocks living here in the
    Russian embassy compound. The most important thing we need now
    are clothes and food. We are appealing to the international
    community and other countries to help us," said Ali, one of
    hundreds of displaced people who have taken over deserted
    buildings at the Russian embassy compound.

    Afghanistan has endured a biting drought for the last four
    years, compounding problems in a country already plagued by
    over two decades of civil war.

    Residents of Kabul said if it snowed in the capital, it
    generally meant snow in the mountains as well -- which would
    freeze and provide much needed spring melt for next season's
    crops.

    The United Nations, which is running a massive
    humanitarian relief operation in Afghanistan, cancelled its
    morning flights from neighbouring Pakistan because of the
    weather.

    The Internet site www.weather.com had not forecast snow
    for Afghanistan on Friday, but did say snow was expected early
    next week and temperatures expected to plunge to below minus
    20 degrees Celsius (minus four Fahrenheit) with highs of
    around zero Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).



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