Winter Killed at Least 100 Afghan Refugee Children, Study Estimates
After a harsh winter killed children in refugee camps around the Afghan capital and brought attention to poor conditions there, a new study by a French aid agency said the disaster was more extensive than originally thought, with at least 100 young children claimed by the cold.
The study, carried out in March by the French aid group Solidarités International, sought to collect information from families at all of the 45 camps in or near Kabul, according to Julie Bara, who conducted the survey for the group, one of few international relief agencies that have long been active in the camps.
The group’s survey came to light on Wednesday, as a result of a visit by Valerie Amos, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator, who toured one of the camps, officially known as the Kabul Informal Settlements. In all, they have more than 35,000 residents, mostly refugees from rural areas hard-hit by the war.
Visits to the camps during February by The New York Times found 28 cases of children younger than 5 whose parents said they had died of exposure to the cold in the previous month, when unusually severe weather and heavy snows saw nighttime temperatures in the low teens Fahrenheit. Since residents typically bury their dead quickly, in line with Afghan custom and Islamic practice, precise details on the deaths have been difficult to compile. In addition, most do not take their children to hospitals because they cannot afford the cost.