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Residents celebrate first snowfall of the year

The Afghan capital Kabul and other parts of the country received their first snowfall on Thursday, the BBC reported on Friday. This brought relief to what is believed to be the worst drought to hit this war ravaged country in 30 years. According to the report, the snow which began early Thursday morning, continued into the afternoon, raising hopes among farmers and residents alike. For farmers, it is much better than rain, acting as a reservoir and melting gradually, releasing water for irrigation during the spring growing season, the report said. Some residents who celebrated the snow’s arrival said it was more important than gold, referring to snow as “white gold” instead. The UN estimates that some 12 million people are affected by food shortages in Afghanistan, four million of them seriously so. The drought has resulted in crop devastation and a loss of livelihood for hundreds of thousands in search of water, leaving officials warning of widespread famine around May next year.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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