Residents of various areas in Kabul say they are facing significant difficulties in securing water due to the escalating water shortage. They note that they rely on water tankers that supply different parts of the city to meet their needs. According to these residents, they spend between 400 and 500 Afghanis weekly to purchase water, but this amount is insufficient for their daily requirements. They warn that water resources are depleting daily, making access to potable water increasingly challenging.
Several Kabul residents, in interviews with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, expressed concerns about the water scarcity in their areas, stating they are forced to bear high costs every week to buy water due to the lack of reliable water sources. They add that in some areas, people must wait in long queues to obtain a few barrels of water, enough for only a week. According to these residents, some have even abandoned their homes due to the water shortage. They urge the Taliban to take immediate action to address the water crisis in the capital.
Kawoosh (pseudonym), a resident of Kabul’s fourth district, says he purchases 80 liters of mineral water every two days to meet his family’s basic needs. He notes that household water pipes do not provide a consistent supply, and well water is either dry or of very poor quality.
He adds, “We live in Kabul’s fourth district. The water level in wells here has dropped significantly and is no longer usable. Our well is 120 meters deep, but its water is neither sufficient in quantity nor suitable in quality. It cannot even be used for cooking. We buy 80 liters of water every two days, but in the hot summer days, this amount is not enough for our household needs.”
Ubaid (pseudonym), another resident of the fourth district, says accessing water has become a daily struggle for him and many others. He warns that if the Taliban do not address this crisis seriously, residents of many parts of the capital will soon face even greater challenges.
“The situation is such that clean water is unavailable in any part of Kabul. This is the second time we’ve had to relocate due to a lack of water. Unfortunately, the new area also lacks usable water, which is entirely unsuitable for drinking. As a result, we rely on mineral water, priced at one Afghani per liter. Our household consumes between 20 and 30 liters of water daily.” Ubaid explains.
The water shortage in western Kabul has also become a daily challenge for residents, with many repeatedly complaining about inadequate access to water.
Sitayish (pseudonym), a resident of Kabul’s thirteenth district, says her family uses well water for washing dishes and mineral water for drinking, noting that the lack of clean drinking water has become a serious issue for them. She highlights the high cost of water, adding that securing potable water places a heavy financial burden on families.
“We are currently facing a severe water shortage. While people are grappling with poverty and economic crises, we are forced to buy every 10 liters of water for 10 Afghanis. How can families, who are struggling even for a single Afghan, afford these costs?” She believes the persistent lack of sufficient water access remains a constant challenge for Kabul residents. She says.
Sodaba (pseudonym), a resident of Kabul’s seventeenth district, says the Taliban’s neglect of the capital’s water needs could lead to widespread migration and exacerbate people’s hardships. She notes that Kabul’s groundwater has become contaminated due to unregulated sewage well digging and is no longer usable.
She adds, “Kabul’s residents have become very negligent. The modern sewage wells they’ve dug have polluted the groundwater. Now, the water is unusable, and some families have been forced to migrate. Yet, the Taliban shows no concern for this situation and fails to see how much people are suffering.”
Khairkhana, Dasht-e Barchi, Deh Khodaidad in Kabul’s sixteenth district, Kart-e Naw, and other areas of Kabul are among the regions where residents struggle to access potable water.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has released a new report on the vulnerability of Afghanistan’s citizens to climate change. According to the report, published on Monday, June 16, 2025, nearly five million people were affected by environmental disasters in the first three months of 2025.
The report states that Afghanistan saw approximately 175,000 cases of internal displacement during this period, with 79 percent of these individuals forced to leave their homes due to environmental disasters.
The report further notes that climate-related events and natural disasters have directly caused displacement due to livelihood challenges. In total, nearly 396,000 people in Afghanistan were forced to abandon their homes during this period, with 171,926 migrating abroad.
Previously, the non-governmental organization Mercy Corps reported that Kabul’s groundwater levels have dropped by up to 30 meters over the past decade due to rapid urbanization and climate-related water crises, with nearly half of the city’s wells, the primary source of drinking water for residents, now dry.
According to the report, water extraction currently exceeds the natural replenishment of groundwater by 44 million cubic meters annually.
The Japan Times, in a report titled “‘Serious problem’: Afghan capital losing race against water shortages,” stated that the situation in Afghanistan’s capital is visibly worsening. Citing data and expert opinions, the report warned that without action to address Kabul’s groundwater, the city could have no groundwater left by 2030.
The report added that population growth has outpaced urban planning, and climate change has reduced rainfall, severely impacting Kabul’s groundwater reserves.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
نبرد روزانه برای آب در کابل؛ پایتختی که با تشنهگی نفس میکشد
