A number of residents in some areas of Kabul complain about the lack of basic facilities and access to essential services. Damaged roads and streets, the absence of drinking water and electricity, and a shortage of health centers are among the most significant problems these residents face. Residents of these areas add that most families are struggling with economic hardship and cannot afford the additional costs of transportation, obtaining water, and accessing health services. According to them, the absence of health centers near their homes has forced them to travel to the city center for treatment, especially in urgent cases.
These residents say that on some streets and roads, damaged roads, particularly during the rainy season, make travel difficult, and children and the elderly face the greatest difficulty. Criticizing the demolition and reconstruction of roads and intersections that had already been built, they say the Taliban pay no attention to areas that still lack roads, drinking water, electricity, and health centers.
Hamid (pseudonym), a resident of the Company area in Kabul, says that residents of this area are deprived of the most basic facilities and urban services. According to him, although the Company area is located in the capital, its residents face problems that in some cases have made their living conditions harder than those of residents in a number of provinces.
This resident of the Company area says: “We live in the capital, but we don’t have proper electricity, water, or roads. School is very far for our children, and there is no proper place in the area for children to play, no park. Even public transport vehicles don’t travel on our route. When someone gets sick, or an urgent matter arises, it is very difficult for us to find a car. On top of that, the condition of the roads is very poor, and patients face major problems when being transported. There is also a great deal of dust, which makes it hard for us to breathe.”
Hamid adds that most residents of the Company area do not have a good economic situation and, at the same time, are deprived of many basic urban services. He says: “Most people in the Company area do not have a good economic situation, but alongside our economic problems, we are also deprived of many government services. The streets are dark at night, and even our homes remain in darkness due to the lack of electricity. There is no clean water, and many of our children are contracting various illnesses.”
Naeem (pseudonym), another resident of the Company area in Kabul, says that in some parts of the city, roads and intersections that had already been built are being demolished, while areas that still need construction and basic services receive insufficient attention. He says: “The Taliban demolish roads and intersections that have already been built, but in areas near Kabul city, no attention is paid to building roads, schools, or a water supply system.”
Naeem adds that the difference in living conditions between families with greater financial means and low-income families is felt more strongly in the Company area. He says: “Those who are relatively well-off financially have obtained solar power for themselves and own private vehicles, but for those of us who do not have good financial means, living conditions here are very difficult. On top of that, we have neither enough money nor a suitable job that would allow us to move to a better area. We are human beings too, and our lives are passing by, yet we have not experienced a single day of real comfort.”
Bilal (pseudonym), a resident of the Tanikot area of Kabul, also complains about the lack of basic facilities and essential services in this area. According to him, damaged roads and streets and the absence of drinking water and electricity are among the most significant problems residents of this area face.
This Kabul resident says: “I have lived in Tanikot for about 10 years. Although this area is only about 20 minutes from Kabul city center, we are still deprived of the most basic facilities. We don’t have a proper hospital, and the condition of the streets is also very poor. There is an enormous amount of dust, and there is no green space at all. There isn’t a proper market here either, and many of the goods people need cannot be found.”
Zahra (pseudonym), a resident of the Sarak-e Kotal area of Kabul, says that the lack of basic facilities and the existing problems in this area have made carrying out daily affairs difficult for residents.
This Kabul resident says: “We live in Kotal-e Kabul, where we have no drinking water, cars are not easy to find, and for more than three years we have been unable to breathe easily because of the dust from the road. Dust even gets into our homes. We girls wait for hours by the roadside, but a car is hard to find, and we struggle to carry out our daily tasks. On top of that, we have no water and are forced to buy drinking water as well as get water from tankers for washing and other household needs. This situation has imposed high costs on our families.”
Shokur (pseudonym), a resident of Farza district in Kabul, says that the lack of a hospital, electricity, and drinking water is among the most significant problems facing residents of this district. According to him, residents of Farza are forced to transfer patients to Kabul city or Sarai Khwaja even for the treatment of ordinary illnesses.
This resident of Farza says: “Farza is no more than 30 minutes from Kabul city, yet we still don’t have proper electricity or a hospital. If someone falls ill, even with a simple illness, we are forced to transfer them to Kabul city. There is also no proper hospital for women giving birth. We have no drinking water either, and the springs and karezes that used to exist have dried up. The school is also very far away, and children from remote villages have to travel a long distance to reach it.”
Shokur adds that the lack of proper roads is also one of the serious problems facing residents of this district, and in many areas, even routes that urgently need roads have not been built. According to him, in some areas people have built roads at their own expense. He says: “It has been several years since electricity poles were installed, but every time we are promised that electricity will be connected, and to this day it has not happened. Most people are forced to use river water, which is not clean. We don’t even have a proper bakery, and we face many problems.”
Shokur adds: “A great deal of produce is harvested from this district, but in return, sufficient public services are not provided to the people.”
This comes as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said some time ago that the lack of basic health facilities in Afghanistan, particularly in rural areas, endangers children’s health.
UNICEF had reported that this situation leads to the spread of preventable diseases. According to UNICEF, 55 percent of families in Afghanistan lack access to basic health facilities.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
کابل؛ پایتختی که حاشیههایش از ابتداییترین امکانات شهری محرومند
