Nearly 80% of Kabul Residents Rely on Wells Amid Worsening Water Crisis: UNAMA

KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says nearly 80 percent of Kabul residents rely on wells for their daily water needs, but almost half of these wells have dried up as groundwater levels decline yearly.

In a statement marking World Water Day on March 22, UNAMA highlighted Kabul's growing water crisis amid severe drought affecting much of the country. The mission noted that access to safe water has become difficult and costly, with some households spending up to 30 percent of their monthly income on water. Women and children often stand in queues for hours or travel long distances to fetch it, a problem that was once confined to the city's outskirts but now affects the entire population.

UNAMA attributed the crisis to climate change, prolonged drought, rapid and unplanned urban growth, and poor water management, pushing the situation to a critical point. "World Water Day is a reminder that access to safe water is a fundamental human right, yet for many Kabul residents, accessing this right is becoming harder each day," the statement said.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) head in Afghanistan said 2.1 million people in the country gained access to safe water last year.

Separately, an economic commission approved plans to identify new revenue opportunities expected to add around 60 billion afghanis to the national budget in the long term. The meeting also endorsed a project to transfer water from Panjshir to Kabul to address the city's shortages.