On World Water Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that 33 million people in Afghanistan are facing water scarcity.
The committee identified access to water as a serious challenge in Afghanistan, emphasizing that the issue directly affects public health, food security, and the country’s economic growth.
In its message for World Water Day, the ICRC said: “Access to safe drinking water is an internationally recognized human right, yet it is estimated that 33 million people in Afghanistan face severe water shortage.”
Climate change and decades of conflict are cited as key causes of water scarcity in the country.
Meanwhile, some residents of Kabul have also expressed concerns over the lack of water and urged the authorities to address the issue.
Mohammad Ismail, a Kabul resident, said: “We come from the Regration area in search of water. We used to have water, but due to some issue, our supply was cut, and now we come here to find water.”
Shiraz, another resident, said: “We don’t have water. It’s really difficult to find any. As you can see, the water source is dry, and we’re taking our empty barrels back home.”
In response, the Ministry of Energy and Water has rejected the Red Cross’s recent report claiming that 80% of Afghan citizens lack access to water. Matiullah Abid, spokesperson for the ministry, said the Islamic Emirate is implementing various projects to combat drought.
Abid stated: “We completely reject the Red Cross’s report suggesting that 33 million people in Afghanistan lack access to water. We don’t know on what basis or through what kind of survey this claim was made. Fortunately, the Ministry of Energy and Water is actively working on major projects to tackle drought.”
Najibullah Sadid, a water management expert, told TOLOnews: “Work must be done on water storage infrastructure, including the construction of small, medium, and large dams, as well as watershed management. Additionally, efforts must be made to improve water use efficiency; irrigation and agriculture systems should be modernized.”
The ICRC report also noted that a significant portion of Afghanistan’s freshwater comes from snowmelt and glacier runoff, warning that the rapid melting of glaciers poses a serious threat to the country’s water resources.
