LocationsUN Joint Efforts to Improve Access to Clean Water in Southern Afghanistan
May 2, 2026
“Before, there was no water. We had to walk very far, 60 to 90 minutes, just to bring water. We had to go for water three or four times a day. I had pain in my back and feet.”
Eid Bibi, a 40-year-old single mother of eight, recalls the daily struggle she faced in her village, Naw Abad, near Gardez city, in southeastern Afghanistan. Eid Bibi’s life describes a common situation for many people living in rural areas of the country.
Local communities in Gardez’s high altitude mostly face unique hardships, freezing cold weather, scorching heat, and hard-to-reach water points. Life for Eid Bibi and many other women and children used to be the same, facing cold and heat, but to ensure their families have clean water.
With support from the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA), UN-Habitat and UNDP joined forces to bring much-awaited transformation to Eid Bibi’s community.
While UN-Habitat dug the well, built a water tower and guard room, and schemed the pipelines, UNDP powered the facility with a 7.5 kW solar system. The project aimed at ensuring Eid Bibi’s community could access water even when electricity would be unavailable, which happens too often, and as fuel is unaffordable in many Afghan communities. Through this intervention, 119 water tabs were distributed throughout Eid Bibi’s community. Water tabs are installed in each home and street.
“Now, thankfully, we have water,” says Bibi. “We wash dishes and clothes, and we are happy to have water. Now I do not have to go far because the water is here. We are glad.”
While providing access to water, the initiative also supported the local community and laborers with short-term employment opportunities, helping them meet their basic needs. As a result, over 120 households were supported directly while thousands of others benefited indirectly.
This joint UNDP/UN-Habitat intervention was prioritized as part of a complementary approach under the Delivering as One framework for UN agencies in the country, ensuring all agencies can support Afghan people efficiently with their expertise.
