Скачать или смотреть Water Crisis in Kabul Leaves Families in Long Queues, Disrupts Children’s Education

For Assadullah, a 42-year-old shopkeeper, fetching water has become a daily ordeal that affects his entire family.

Assadullah supports 13 relatives who have faced severe water shortages for the past four years, ever since their home well dried up.

To meet their daily needs, the family walks about 400 meters to a mosque tap, where they wait for hours in long queues to fill barrels. In addition, they rely on a private water tanker that only arrives every two weeks, with the irregular supply and extra cost putting a heavy strain on the family’s limited income.

His wife, Speray, struggles to manage household chores with the scarce water. “With one barrel, I bathe my three children and wash clothes sparingly,” she said.

“The lack of clean water has caused health problems. My husband developed a stomach ulcer, and I contracted H. pylori. I boil water twice before giving it to our children, but it’s still a daily struggle.”

Assadullah’s story reflects a broader crisis facing Kabul and much of Afghanistan.

According to Reuters, persistent drought is putting severe pressure on the country’s water resources, threatening food security and livelihoods.

Experts say climate change and overuse of underground water have worsened the situation, leaving once self-sufficient households dependent on distant taps and private water tankers.

The United Nations reports that more than 24 million people - over 60% of Afghanistan’s population - now require humanitarian aid due to conflict, economic crisis, and prolonged drought.

Recurrent water shortages have forced families like Assadullah’s to ration water, wait in long lines, and shoulder soaring expenses, with children often missing school as a result.

#Afghanistan #Kabul #WaterCrisis #ClimateChange #HumanitarianCrisis #Drought #Education #CleanWater #UN #BreakingNews
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