February 24, 2005, 09:45
An international aid group said today it had reports that up to 150 children had died of cold-related illnesses in one part of a snowbound Afghan province, and hundreds more may have died. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) said a team of six doctors who had surveyed villages along a 60km stretch of highway in the remote central province of Ghor were told of 140-150 child deaths.
Most of the deaths appeared to have been caused by pneumonia and most were of children under the age of five, Paul Hicks, the director of CRS for western Afghanistan, said. "These are still unconfirmed numbers, based on reports the teams are getting from talking to families and community leaders," he said. Hicks said the doctors reported 100% rates of anaemia and very high rates of severe malnutrition among children - with the rate for fewer than fives ranging from 10% to 20%. <snip>
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