UN appeals for fresh funds for displaced Afghans

The plight of nearly half a million displaced Afghans is being highlighted by the United Nations in a call for more aid.

Makeshift refugee camps in the capital Kabul continue to grow, housing those who fled war zones in the rest of the country.

Afghanistan’s harsh winter brings additional hardship, say aid workers. This year, at least two children have died from the cold.

Haji Abdul Wahab, a migrant from Helmand province, now lives with his family at one camp in Kabul.

“As you can see, we have lots of problems. The snowfall the other night destroyed our mud house. Our children are living under plastic tents. It is very cold and due to the cold, all of our children have become sick and life is tough here,” said Wahab.

Aid agencies are scaling up efforts to avoid a repeat of what happened last year. More than 100 children died as the coldest winter in decades took officials by surprise.

This year, fuel, food, medicine and blankets are being distributed as well as plastic sheeting for the roofs of huts.

While billions of euros in development aid has been committed to Afghanistan, there is anger that it is still not reaching those who need it most.

The UN says it received half the cash it requested for humanitarian needs this year.

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