Dawn, which shines over the dry, dusty hills of Kabul, does not bring hope to the local population. Since the capital of Afghanistan is slowly exhausting underground sources, thousands of families are forced to seek or pay dearly for what should be a fundamental human right. Drinking water.
Cable, water
Three decades ago, the cable had less than two million inhabitants. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, however, was followed by a wave of migration. Many have come to seek greater safety and economic opportunities. With the growth of the population, there was also a demand for water.
Groundwater levels fall sharply
The cable is almost completely dependent on groundwater, which is restored by melting snow and water from glaciers from nearby mountains Hindúkuš, writes CNN and informs. However, years of poor management and excessive pumping have caused the groundwater level to fall by up to 30 meters over the past 10 years, Mercy Corps reports.
The city already consumes 44 million cubic meters more water than can be naturally restored. Almost half of the wells dried up.
Rahila (42), the mother of four children, lives in one of the poorer neighborhoods of the capital. Every morning, as soon as he starts the sound of tanks going on the dusty streets, he goes out with the buckets.
“We have no drinking water at all. It is always running, every sip is expensive. Because of the water we save on food and everything else,” Rahila said.
Capital without water
The crisis is getting worse. According to Mercy Corps, a cable could become the first capital to be water. The combination of population growth, climate change and uncontrolled drawing of underground sources leads to a dramatic drop in water levels, up to about 30 meters over the last decade.
Ahmad Jasin (28) started digging a 120 -meter -deep well after months of daily waiting for water in the local mosque.
“We put all that we have, we don’t have a filter anymore,” he said.
Sick people, most groundwater is contaminated
Mercy Corps estimates that 80 percent of the groundwater in Kabul is contaminated with feces from makeshift toilets and industrial waste. Residents regularly suffer from diarrhea and vomiting.
“We are still sick. We just need to wash our teeth with the water,” says Sajed Hamed, a civil servant with three children.
Cabul is now a dangerous city without infrastructure and basic living conditions. Climate change is worse.
Up to 5 years without water
The snow, which once powered underground springs, is increasingly replaced by short -term but heavy rain that cause flooding, but do not contribute to the restoration of springs. UNICEF warns that if this trend continues, the cable will be completely without groundwater by 2030.
For many families, the only source of private distributors are the only source of selling water at high prices or mosques that have access to deeper wells. However, these are often extremely high. Rustam Khan Taraki spends up to 30 percent of his monthly income on water.
The greatest burden of crisis is carried by women and children. Children often miss school because they have to walk the water for days. And women risk their safety whenever they leave the house.
“We must not go out alone without a male family member. Every woman is afraid,” one of the residents told CNN.
Political, economic, humanitarian and health crisis
The political instability and the economic crisis further worsens the situation. After the withdrawal of the US forces in 2021 and the takeover of the Taliban’s power, most of the international assistance of Afghanistan was suspended.
Humanitarian organizations are trying to fill this gap, but the funds are limited. The recent US government’s decision to stop funding through USAID was even more paralyzed by the field effort. According to Mercy Corps data, $ 264 million is needed for urgent needs in the water supply and hygiene sector. So far, only eight million have been secured.
“It is a humanitarian, health, economic and political crisis. Without international aid, without infrastructure and the growing population, the city is collapsing and the price is paid by ordinary people,” said Marianna von Zahn from Mercy Corps.
Rahil, which we mentioned in the beginning of the article, and her family does not want to stay in Kabul.
“When we moved here, there was water. Now there is gone and we have nowhere. We probably have to go again. But where?” asks Rahila.
This article comes from Ringier Media’s partner website. The content and data mentioned in it were taken without editorial interventions.
