Water scarcity adds to the woes of residents reeling from harsh winter

KABUL (SW) – With an unprecedented drop in temperatures, residents of the capital Kabul and a number of other provinces across Afghanistan are finding it hard to access drinking water.

Waris Shinwari, a resident of Kabul, says that they have not had access to drinking water for several days. “The water supply lines are frozen and the air temperature in Kabul is touching minus 13 degrees. The water is frozen in the taps. We have to buy water although our economic situation is already very bad”.

Ajmal Shirzad, another resident of Kabul, said: “The air has become extremely cold, it has frozen the taps and reservoirs. Because we don’t have drinking water, we have to buy bottled water.”

However, officials of the state water supply and urban sewage company told Salam Watandar that the problem of drinking water shortage in Kabul will be addressed.

Mohammad Nasim Samim, vice president of this company, said: “Coldness is a natural thing. The cold weather is unprecedented and we will consider a solution to solve the problems of people’s lack of water, God willing.”

Similar situation is faced by many more residents of a number of other provinces.

Karim, a resident of Balkh, said that all water sources are frozen and cannot be broken with a spade to get water out of them.

In the same way, Faryab resident Abdul Rasool said people do not have access to drinking water, and the residents of Faryab are facing serious water shortage problems.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, by the end of this week, the temperature will drop to minus 35 degrees Celsius in parts of Afghanistan.

ENDS

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