Winter

This is the coldest winter in Afghanistan in at least 10 years. It has even snowed in Herat and Kandahar, where there is usually no snow at all int he winter. They say that 60 people have died in Herat due to their roofs falling in from the heavy snow.

There is no such thing as central heat in Afghanistan. Most Afghans use something called a 'sandalee" to keep warm.

There are various forms of the sandalee. Traditionally, there is a small hole dug into the middle of the floor (easy to do when your floor is dirt). Hot coals are placed into the hole, then a table is placed over the hole and thick heavy blankets are placed over the table and overlap the cushions the people sit on. You sit on the cushions and put your body under the heavy blankets. It is a very quick way to get warm, but you can imagine the dangers. Almost every family has a story of a child rolling down into the coals and burning to death. Other children have suffocated under the heavy blankets, others have been the victim of CO poisoning.

Nowadays in the city, there are more sophisticated forms of the sandalee. The heat source may be put into a big metal bowl, so that children don't roll into the hole. Others use electric heat sources (though electricity is often scarce here). The problem is, that you cook and clean in an unheated room. Imagine washing dishes in water that is straight snow runoff and the temperature in the room is 25 F.

There are other forms of heat. There are old-timey type wood burning stoves like your great grandmother used, but for the most part, there is no wood in Afghanistan. There are diesel drip heaters. Basically diesel is in a can on the side, with a spigot. You turn the spigot on, diesel drips down a tube into a small barrel type container and you drop a match into it, and it slowly burns. I know many people who have had fires in their houses due to this type of heater. And, diesel in expensive. In the two weeks since I arrived, my roommate and I have spent over $60 in diesel. I have a German made diesel heater. It is basically the same principle, but a bit safer and more controlled. I also have a gas heater in my room. I have had fun dancing with the two heaters trying to make my room bearable. I get it to where I can function as long as I am wearing a lot of layers.

A few people have sawdust heaters. They tend to keep the room comfortable as long as they are burning properly.

All this to say. Winter is hard on the Afghans. Their hands and feet are always bright red and swollen with the cold. They spend most of their time being cold and only get warm when they have time to get under the sandalee.

I wonder if there is ever a time when Afghans are not suffering...