16 million people in Afghanistan need clean water, sanitation services in 2026: UN
Kabul, June 22
As many as 16 million people in Afghanistan will need access to clean water and sanitation services in 2026, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday, local media reported.
The OCHA said water scarcity is exposing children to greater health risks and affecting daily life in Afghanistan, forcing people to taking coping mechanisms amid deteriorating conditions. The agency stated that access to safe drinking water and sanitation in Afghanistan is a critical humanitarian challenge, Afghanistan's news agency Khaama Press reported.
Over the years, Afghanistan has faced recurring droughts, inadequate water-management infrastructure and poverty, resulting in millions of people facing difficulty in getting sufficient water for drinking, household use and agriculture. Humanitarian agencies have said that climate-related shocks are increasing pressure on already fragile communities in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
The OCHA's statement comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian crisis due to economic difficulties, food insecurity and reduction in international aid. Aid organisations said reduced funding has restricted the humanitarian agencies from expanding expand water, sanitation and hygiene services in several areas.
On June 16, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the nutrition crisis in Afghanistan is worsening, highlighting growing humanitarian concerns in the country.
In a statement on June 16, the OCHA said that 3.7 million children are expected to face severe malnutrition in 2026. It emphasised the need to have urgent funding to save lives in Afghanistan and stop irreversible harm, Afghanistan-based Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
OCHA stated that the nutrition situation in Afghanistan is rapidly worsening in 2026, with wasting levels worsening in 26 of 34 provinces in comparison to 2025. It further mentioned that deterioration is happening before the peak wasting season which is from July to September, indicating an early and deepening crisis, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's heart-wrenching to read about the malnutrition crisis too—3.7 million children at risk. 😢 As a mother, I can't imagine the pain. But I also feel a bit frustrated: why does the world only notice when things get this bad? Prevention is always cheaper than cure, na?
Climate change is real, yaar. Afghanistan is already arid, and now recurring droughts are making it impossible for people to survive. Water is a basic human right—if we can spend billions on wars, why can't we fund sanitation projects? India should contribute more, given our historical ties.
I read that OCHA said 26 out of 34 provinces are seeing worsening malnutrition. That's terrifying. The peak season hasn't even started yet. It feels like the world has moved on from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, but the people are suffering silently. We need to keep talking about this.
Honestly, I'm conflicted. On one hand, it's a humanitarian crisis and we should help. On the other, the current regime in Kabul doesn't have the best track record with women's rights or governance. Should we send aid without conditions? Or should we push for accountability? Tough call. 🤔
पानी की कमी से बच्चों को सबसे ज्यादा खतरा है। This reminds me of the Flint water crisis in the US, but on a much larger scale. The UN needs to act fast, but funding cuts are making it worse. I hope India can send some technical experts for water management—we have
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