The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has announced that around 33 million people in Afghanistan are facing acute water shortages. The organisation stressed that access to clean drinking water is essential for life, health, and stability.
In a statement marking World Water Day on 22 March, the ICRC noted that the Afghan population continues to suffer the compounded effects of over four decades of armed conflict and accelerating climate change.
Martin De Boer, head of programmes for the ICRC in Afghanistan, said that for millions already enduring hardship and a deepening humanitarian crisis, access to water for drinking, cooking, and irrigation remains out of reach. He attributed the worsening situation to a lack of basic infrastructure such as functioning water supply systems, dams, and irrigation networks.
The ICRC voiced concern over the growing water crisis and reiterated its commitment to supporting Afghan communities and authorities in improving water management. The organisation highlighted that much of Afghanistan’s freshwater depends on snow and glacial melt, but rising temperatures are threatening these critical sources.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also warned of the need to protect Afghanistan’s glaciers, describing them as vital to the region’s water supply. The FAO underlined that safeguarding these resources is essential in tackling both climate change and the global water crisis.
In December 2024, the Taliban’s environmental protection agency reported that 181 square kilometres of glaciers in Afghanistan had melted due to climate change, adding further urgency to the crisis.
