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Kabul mayor says water supply in city could ‘dry up’
After decades of conflict, climate change and poor water management, Afghanistan’s capital is facing a dire water shortage.
The shortage is becoming a bigger problem with every passing day, and has authorities worried.
“There is concern that the city could literally dry up,” Kabul mayor Hamdullah Nomani told Reuters on Monday.
Nomani said the government was planning to speak to companies that supply drinking water to solve the shortage. Recently, authorities have had to ferry water to Kabul “from far flung areas at a very heavy cost”.
Dozens of people, mostly children, could be seen waiting to fill up containers with water from a well at a local mosque in Kabul on Monday.
“Sometimes we wait with our buckets but our turn does not come. On some days, we go home with filled buckets, but sometimes we go with empty buckets. It is very difficult,” said Taj Mohiullah, who walks long distances just to get a bucket of water.
According to USAID, just 42% of Afghans have access to safe drinking water and around 27% of the rural population have access to sanitation facilities.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP) if access to water is not taken seriously, the likelihood of a vast famine will increase with the passing of time.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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