Dec 14 (IPS) – The author is a female journalist from Afghanistan, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban takeover. Her identity is being kept secret for security reasons. According to United Nations statistics, nearly 80 percent of Afghan families do not have access to enough water for their daily needs. Afghanistan, a landlocked country with limited water resources, is experiencing a worsening drought, fueled by climate change, that is affecting the entire region.
In the western parts of Kabul, residents have to endure long queues, waiting for hours for the water they need.
The situation has reached a critical point, as evidenced by Dasht-e-Barchi district running out of water as temperatures rise. This crisis has been going on for months.
In the 13th district of Kabul city, the water company has stopped water supply. Muhammad Ali and Juma, who have lived in the district for more than seven years, describe their condition as the worst they have experienced, highlighting the absence of water and any communication from officials.
To obtain drinking water, residents have to travel considerable distances, waiting for hours before they can take a few barrels home. Families continually designate someone to wait in line, yet they go without water for several days and nights.
A private company that used to distribute water to people in exchange for money no longer does so. Residents say there is no government water supply system in this area.
People cannot afford to dig their own wells. Therefore, they have to wait for hours to collect water from mosques and public distribution centers.
The groundwater level in Kabul has dropped significantly. In the Pole Khushk area, western Kabul, people wait from morning to evening for just one barrel of water, underscoring the serious impact of poverty and water scarcity on the city’s residents.
The Ministry of Energy and Water has plans to manage groundwater. The head of water program coordination, Rafiullah Stanakzai, says there are several ongoing projects: the Kabul-Panjshir water canal project and the Shah Tut and Shah Arous projects that supply water to Kabul. Work on these projects will begin after the engineering team has reviewed them.
Officials attribute the drop in groundwater levels to population growth and excessive groundwater use, underscoring the urgency of solving the water crisis.
The water crisis needs a quick solution. The Taliban government lacks a comprehensive plan to meet the population’s needs for drinking water and essential necessities, casting a dark and hopeless shadow over the drought-stricken country.
A recent United Nations report highlights the severity of Afghanistan’s water crisis:
- About 8 in 10 Afghan people drink unsafe water.
- 93% of children in Afghanistan (15.6 million children) live in areas with high or extremely high water vulnerability.
- Nearly 4.2 million people practice open defecation.
- Five in ten Afghan people do not have access to at least basic sanitation.
- More than six in ten Afghans do not have access to basic hygiene facilities.
- About 94% of schools in Afghanistan do not have access to basic handwashing facilities.
- About 35% of healthcare institutions do not have access to at least a basic drinking water supply.
© Inter Press Service (2023) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
