Heavy snowfall and chilly weather have claimed 170 lives including children and women in Afghanistan over the past three weeks, spokesman for the Ministry of Natural Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Shafiullah Rahimi said on Sunday.

“A total of 170 people including children and women have lost their lives and 30 others including women and children injured due to chilly weather and snowfall in 24 out of the country’s 34 provinces over the past three weeks,” said Rahimi.

More than 150 residential houses have been completely destroyed or partially damaged over the period, the official said, adding the continued freezing weather and snowfall have also killed about 80,000 cattle including cows, sheep and goats around the country.

The official also called on aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to needy Afghan families at this critical stage and help them survive the freezing winter.

In the cash-strapped and war-ravaged country where there is no central heating systems, people often use coal, wood or liquid gas to keep themselves warm, which in many cases claims human lives due to gas leakage or carbon monoxide emission.

This year, the extreme weather has swept through parts of Afghanistan since the first week of January when the temperature fell to minus 30 degrees Celsius in some areas.