For Afghan families living in Europe and across the world, deciding how much they heat or eat will be underlined by how many family members they can save from the icy grip of winter in Afghanistan.
This winter, according to Save the Children, in Kabul alone more than 800,000 Afghan children face freezing conditions, which risk causing illnesses, hypothermia and death. Plastic sheeting and the clothes the children wear are all that separate them from sub-zero temperatures as low as -25°C.
While the global cost of living deepens, Europe's Afghan refugees will not just worry about the cost of covering their own heating bills but sending money to family members and friends in Afghanistan. My daughter’s friend and her family – who fled Afghanistan – raise funds in preparation for winter to send back to the country they once called home.
An Afghan woman I know in the UK fled the Taliban as a child with her family. She said: “Every year when the temperature plummets it’s a struggle and now it’s only worse with the Taliban in power. Families can’t afford to accommodate the harsh weather. People tend to burn anything that they can get their hands on to have a source of heat, and this can often be detrimental for the environment and health of the people, but they have no option. For Afghan refugees living in the West, they wrap up more and eat less so they can send a little money to families at risk of death by the winter threat.”
There are thought to be as many as 6 million Afghans living outside of their home country across the world, and the remittances they send are a lifeline to their families in Afghanistan. This year, Afghans face another devastating winter under the Taliban rule in the backdrop of a broken economy, shrivelled international development aid and climate threats. The country is ranked as the sixth-most affected by climate change but with jobs and livelihoods disappearing, women unable to work and its precarious economy collapsing, the UN Mission in Afghanistan said at Cop27 the country is, “one of the least prepared against climate shocks”.
The remittances they send are a lifeline to their families in Afghanistan
As one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, Afghanistan is suffering greater frequency of floods, earthquakes and drought, often displacing people and adversely affecting farmers. With no plan in place by the Taliban, the Afghans are facing harsher winters and are struggling to find a balance between feeding their families and keeping warm, with heavy snowfall isolating remote communities.
Following the Taliban’s sweep to power, Germany admitted approximately 38,100 Afghans into the country. The country recently pledged to take in 1,000 at-risk Afghans every month, yet those who have never worked in German organisations and don’t speak German are facing financial hardship, in addition to displacement – sometimes more than once. Italy granted 6,000 Afghan nationals international protection this year. But despite being offered sanctuary, their struggles continue.
Qader Kazimizada and his family have lived in Italy since 2020. They currently live in a temporary apartment in Rome, but when they arrived, they spent two weeks in a hotel before being sent to a refugee camp in southern Italy. Mr Kazimizada’s wife and children found it difficult as there was no privacy, and anti-social behaviour and violence occurred every night. And as one refugee said: “Though we struggle as refugees with little to eat ourselves, our heart worries about our families in Afghanistan living in the cold without food – we try to send some money back so that they can keep warm, eat a little and survive the bitter cold.”
Najia, who attends the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association – an organisation that works with Afghan communities in the UK and abroad – sends money to family in Afghanistan, as does her brother who lives in the Netherlands. She said her family does not have enough money to buy warm clothes or to heat their homes. The shortage of food, unable to access medication and incapable of keeping warm, rely on money from family outside the country. The difficulty for Najia, her brother and the Afghan diaspora living abroad is deciding how much and to whom they can provide in a climate of soaring living costs.
With help from international charities, there is a glimmer of hope for people like Sara, a 57-year-old woman from Afghanistan’s Ghor province, who said: “I can manage to buy flour, oil, basic food and heating items; this will prevent my family from facing hunger and cold.”
Yet, I am reminded of Washington Irving’s words, “In the dead of winter, when nature is without charm”. Against this backdrop Afghan children warm their small hands, on plastic jerry cans filled with hot water, covered with blankets.
Afghanistan has often been called the “graveyard of empires”, but the West will be known for raising hope during the 20-year war and then turning its back on the Afghan people once the Taliban regained control.
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
'Nope'
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
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Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Honeymoonish
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The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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RESULTS
2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi
4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Last five meetings
2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil
2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil
1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil
1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil
1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil
Note: All friendlies
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Alnawar, Connor Beasley (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Raniah, Noel Garbutt, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 2,200m
Winner: Saarookh, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Rated Conditions Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: RB Torch, Tadhg O’Shea, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: MH Wari, Antonio Fresu, Elise Jeane
7.30pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m
Winner: Mailshot, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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