UNICEF: Surobi District in Kabul Was Center of Disease Outbreaks Due to Lack of Clean Water

KABUL — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) stated that children and families in Kabul's Surobi district previously faced outbreaks of various diseases due to a shortage of safe drinking water.

UNICEF published a report on Wednesday, 5 Hamal, indicating that between 2021 and 2022, Surobi district was the center of disease outbreaks in central Afghanistan. Thousands of people, including young children, fell ill after using polluted water from the Kabul River and contaminated private wells, according to the report.

The organization noted that access to groundwater is difficult in many parts of Afghanistan because of rapid depletion of resources and harsh geographical conditions. In Surobi specifically, mountains and impermeable underground rocks have complicated efforts to obtain clean water, leaving residents to rely primarily on the polluted Kabul River.

To address the issue, UNICEF said a water treatment plant has been constructed in the district with provided funding. The facility purifies water from the Kabul River and supplies clean water to 1,200 families across five villages.