Afghanistan: the impact of access to clean water

"I was informed that a child died this morning from severe diarrhoea, which was caused by drinking contaminated water in our neighbouring village. Our situation was similar in the recent past, but now our children have access to clean and safe water," said Ghaws, father of Israr from Southern Afghanistan.

Israr and his younger brother, Mansor, live in an arid village where the responsibility of collecting water for their family falls on their small shoulders. In the past, they would visit various water sources, only to find them out of order. Their only remaining option was a pond on an agricultural farm, which was often used by livestock and was located in an open area.

Medair is changing the landscape

Since Medair started serving Israr’s community, they now have functioning water taps near their homes that provide clean and safe drinking water.

Clean water has brought tranquillity to Israr’s life – now, he can spend his time on his studies. Health risks used to threaten the health of children in Israr’s village, but as water availability has changed, so has the threat of health risks. According to the community elders, diarrhoea cases among the children have significantly reduced in the village recently.

Access to safe water

Water scarcity is particularly severe in the southern region of Afghanistan, where families struggle to find clean drinking water and often resort to using contaminated sources, creating significant health risks. Medair is committed to serving those most in need. To address this issue, Medair has constructed a clean drinking water supply network that improves access to water for 1’843 inhabitants of a remote village in Afghanistan. This achievement has been made possible only through the support of Medair’s donors.

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Pseudonyms have been used for the people mentioned in the article to protect their identities.

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair’s field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.

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