The cold snap killed at least 160 people, making it the deadliest weather event of 2023 until Cyclone Freddy.

[1] Temperatures fell to a low of −33 °C (−27 °F),[2] with up to 30 centimetres (12 in) of snow in the higher mountain altitudes,[3] directly or indirectly killing at least 162 people in various provinces.

The country had become a pariah state following the 2021 Taliban offensive and the reestablishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, leading to limited foreign aid.

[6] Foreign relief efforts were complicated by a ban on women providing humanitarian aid.

[9] Military helicopters were used to provide relief for citizens cut off by snow, but they were unable to access Afghanistan's mountainous regions.