Severe Drinking Water Shortage Grips Shindand District in Herat

A worsening shortage of clean drinking water has emerged as a serious crisis for thousands of residents in Shindand district, located in Afghanistan’s Herat province. Dramatic declines in groundwater levels and recurring droughts have severely hampered people’s access to drinkable water.

Bismillah Ataei, head of the Shindand water supply department, said that the districts of Zawal, Zirkooh, Koh-Zor, and Pashtkooh are facing acute water shortages, with some areas having no remaining sources of potable water. He added that many residents of Zirkooh have been forced to abandon their homes due to the lack of water and have sought refuge in central markets.

The crisis has led to immense hardships for people trying to secure water. According to Alireza Radmanesh, a local resident, families are compelled to travel long distances using tricycles, wheelbarrows, and other means to transport water in barrels and tanks to their homes. Mohammad, another Shindand resident, emphasized that in many areas, groundwater is saline, and only deep wells can yield fresh water.

Similarly, Khodaydad, a resident of Zirkooh district, expressed concern that groundwater levels have dropped significantly. To meet even basic water needs, people are forced to dig wells 60 to 80 meters deep, often extracting only minimal quantities of water.

In this difficult situation, only limited interventions by international organizations have provided some relief. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has established a water supply network in the center of Shindand district, providing clean drinking water to around 4,000 people. Aziz Ahmad Esmaeili, ICRC’s representative in Herat, said that nearly 2,000 families are benefiting from the initiative.

Shindand and its adjoining districts are among the largest and most densely populated regions in Herat province. According to the Taliban administration’s statistics, more than one million people live in these areas. However, the Taliban authorities have yet to introduce any comprehensive or structured plans to address the escalating water shortage crisis, further deepening residents’ concerns and leaving them vulnerable to health and environmental threats.