This article is focused on the following UN Sustainable Development Goal:
“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” - Albert Szent-Györgyi.
Water is an essential aspect of life, and without it would be a devastating tragedy for all life on earth. Though covering 71% of the earth’s surface, several countries face water crises, lacking access to basic needs such as clean water and sanitation. According to UNICEF studies, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, two-thirds of the population lack access to safe sanitation, and three billion people lack access to handwashing facilities with soap. Among those, Afghanistan holds a depressing record of lacking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
This could be observed for Afghans as their reality is as portrayed below:
Around 8 out of every 10 Afghan people drink unsafe water.
93% of children in Afghanistan (15.6m children) live in areas of high, or extremely high, water vulnerability.
Nearly 4.2 million people practice open defecation.
5 out of every 10 Afghan people don’t have access to at least basic sanitation facilities.
Over 6 of every 10 Afghan people don’t have access to basic hygiene facilities.
Around 94% of schools across Afghanistan lack access to basic handwashing facilities.
Around 35% of healthcare facilities lack access to at least a basic drinking water supply.
In Afghanistan, two out of five young children are stunted.
The distressing and ugly truth of this issue would be due to the political changes in Afghanistan that have worsened an existing crisis caused by years of conflict, insecurity, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian emergency due to a combination of factors, including severe drought, economic collapse, displacement, and multiple disease outbreaks. As a result, Afghanistan has the highest number of people facing emergency food insecurity in the world, and estimated by UNICEF that 1.1 million children under 5 are at risk of severe acute malnutrition in 2022 if immediate action is not taken. Providing safe water is crucial to addressing malnutrition, as contaminated water can prevent the absorption of nutrients and exacerbate illness.
Furthermore, 80% of all the sicknesses and diseases found in developing countries are caused by unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation. This results in approximately 3.5 million deaths yearly worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO). After all, sufficient clean and safe water is vital for overall health and well-being. Unsafe water, poor sanitation, and hygiene have harmful and widespread impacts on children's health, leading to debilitating diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. These diseases can have severe health consequences or death, particularly for children whose immune systems are still developing. Globally, over 700 children under 5 die from diarrhea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation every day. In Afghanistan, the lack of improved sanitation is hindering the fight against polio, which is still endemic. The poliovirus spreads in human waste, and almost 30% of households in Afghanistan lack proper toilets, while almost 11% of people still practice open defecation.
Though the issue at hand seems dreadful and worrisome, not all hope is lost and there are still several ways to help. With humanitarian aid from NGOs and support from the UNICEF working to tackle this crisis, fellow readers and anyone anywhere are strongly encouraged to help and donate. As Ronald Reagan once quoted, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone”.
Organizations and donation sites:
Remember, change starts with you.
“Afghanistan: WASH on the Brink.” Www.unicef.org, www.unicef.org/documents/afghanistan-wash-brink.
“SDG 6 in Afghanistan: Clean Water and Sanitation.” Afghanaid, www.afghanaid.org.uk/sdg-6-in-Afghanistan-clean-water-and-sanitation.
The water project. “The Water Crisis: The Importance of Clean Water to Health | the Water Project.” The Water Project, 2017, thewaterproject.org/why-water/health.
UNICEF. “WASH: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.” Unicef.org, 2016, www.unicef.org/afghanistan/wash-water-sanitation-and-hygiene.
UNICEF. “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.” UNICEF, 2021, www.unicef.org/wash.
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