Afghanistan urges Japan to resume Kabul New City water project

The Ministry of Economy has called on Japan to resume the long-stalled Kabul New City drinking water supply project, which has been suspended for the past four years.

According to the Ministry, the project was launched in 2020 with $24 million in funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and was being implemented through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). However, work was suspended shortly after its initiation and has not resumed since.

In a meeting with the Japanese Deputy Ambassador in Kabul, Mai Kyo Izawa, the Minister of Economy, Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, expressed gratitude for Tokyo’s humanitarian aid, particularly its assistance to earthquake-affected families in eastern Afghanistan, and urged the resumption of the water supply project. The Deputy Ambassador assured that he would raise the issue with relevant authorities in Japan.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stressed the urgent need to secure JICA’s approval for the project’s restart, highlighting the severe water shortages currently faced by Kabul residents.

Mai meanwhile reiterated his country’s solidarity with Afghan families affected by the recent earthquake and announced an additional $1.33 million in humanitarian aid, on top of a previously pledged $1 million package. He emphasized that Japan would continue to provide assistance to the Afghan people.

Global agencies have repeatedly warned that Kabul may face a complete depletion of its water resources within a few years.

Experts stress that urgent short- and long-term measures are required, including the transfer of water from other provinces, to prevent a looming water crisis in the Afghan capital.