688,000 Afghans provided potable water last year: UNICEF

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says it provided potable water to 688,000 people in Afghanistan last year.

UNICEF wrote on its X handle: “Every child deserves safe drinking water to grow and stay healthy. In 2024, @UNICEFAfg provided 688,000 people with enough safe water for drinking and personal hygiene at home, schools and hospitals in Afghanistan. #WorldWaterDay”

The Fund emphasised every child deserved access to safe drinking water and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring their health and well-being.

On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said 33 million people faced a severe water shortage in Afghanistan.

However, the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) in Kabul dismissed the claim as unfounded.

On World Water Day, many residents of Kabul raised concerns about their declining access to clean drinking water.

They urged the caretaker government to establish a well-structured urban water supply system and deal effectively with the issue of falling underground water levels.

kk/mud