Afghanistan's cold snap death toll rises to 166

One hundred and sixty-six people have died in a wave of bitterly cold weather sweeping Afghanistan, an official said on Saturday, as extreme conditions heaped misery on the poverty-stricken nation.

Afghanistan has been frozen by temperatures as low as -33 degrees Celsius since Jan 10, combined with widespread snowfall, icy gales and regular electricity outages.

Aid agencies had warned before the cold snap that more than half of Afghanistan's 38 million people were facing hunger, while nearly four million children were suffering from malnutrition.

The disaster management ministry said on Saturday the death toll had risen by 88 over the past week and now stood at 166, based on data from 24 of the nation's 34 provinces.

The deaths were caused by floods, fires and leaks from gas heaters that Afghan families use to heat their homes, ministry official Abdul Rahman Zahid said in a video statement. Some 100 homes were destroyed or damaged and nearly 80,000 livestock, a vital commodity for Afghanistan's poor, also died in the cold.

Malaysia - Floods in Johor and Pahang After 430mm of Rain in 24 Hours

Over 4,000 people have been displaced by flooding in the states of Johor and Pahang in Malaysia. Flooding has also affected parts of Sabah State on the island of Borneo.

© Korporat JBPM
Flood rescue in Johor, Malaysia, 24 January 2023.

Johor and Pahang States

Flooding began on 24 January 2023 where initially 400 people were evacuated from homes in areas of Kluang, Kota Tinggi and Segamat districts.

According to figures from Malaysia's Department of Irrigation and Drainage, as much as 344 mm of rain fell in 24 hours to 24 January in Segamat and 432 mm during the same period in Mersing. Rivers are above the danger mark in at least 5 locations.

Johor State firefighters rescued 3 people from a vehicle trapped in flood waters in Labis, Johor on 24 January.

As of 25 January, the National Disaster Management Agency reported a total of 4,382 people now displaced by flooding in Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Mersing, Muar and Segamat. Military teams were deployed to aid flood victims in Segamat.

In the neighbouring state of Pahang, around 7 people were displaced after floods in Rompin district. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage reported the Keratoan river was above the danger mark near Bahau Keratong in Rompin district. As of 25 January, the river stood at 23.36 metres where the danger level is 23 metres. The river is forecast to rise further over the coming days.

Sabah State

Meanwhile, flooding has also affected Sabah state in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The National Disaster Management Agency said a total of 607 people have been displaced, as of 25 January, from homes in the districts of Kudat and Pitas. As much as 225 mm of rain fell in a few hours in Beluran on 25 January.

Local disaster agencies also reported floods and evacuations in Kota Marudu District in Kudat Division.

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