The United Nations has issued a dire warning that the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul projected to run dry by 2030, which might endanger about six million people. Due to the city’s fast population increase, poor management, and the increasing effects of climate change, groundwater supplies have been depleted, and about half of its boreholes are now dry. The situation is becoming more complex and threatening everyday life, health, and economic stability, as estimates suggest Kabul is projected to run dry by 2030. The urgency of this situation is highlighted by the dependence on groundwater, which is no longer sufficiently restored in the Hindu Kush Mountains as a result of decreased snowfall and glacier melt.

The Struggle for Water Access

Raheela, a 42-year-old mother of four, and other residents wake up every day worrying about access to water for basic necessities. Many families, like hers, are dependent on expensive water tankers and cannot afford this lifeline. The shortage is made worse by Kabul’s annual extraction of 44 million cubic meters more groundwater than it can resupply, according to a Mercy Corps report. People like Ahmad Yasin, 28, are forced to spend $550 on a 120-meter well because boreholes are drying up, only to discover that the water is unsafe to drink without boiling. Up to 80% of the groundwater is contaminated by sewage and waste pollution, which frequently results in illnesses. Hamed’s 13- and 9-year-old children miss school to fetch water, and Taliban restrictions place additional burdens on women, reducing their mobility and raising the risk of harassment.

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A Humanitarian and Economic Crisis

According to Marianna Von Zahn of Mercy Corps, the water crisis in Kabul has escalated into a serious humanitarian and economic crisis that goes far beyond simple scarcity. While contaminated groundwater, tainted by sewage and waste, affects up to 80% of the city’s sources and causes widespread health problems like gastrointestinal illnesses, the lack of safe water disrupts livelihoods and forces residents to divert time and resources to secure basic supplies. International support has drastically decreased due to political instability since the Taliban took power in 2021 and the U.S. decision to stop providing development funds in 2025. Only $8 million of the $264 million required for water and sanitation has been provided, leaving a significant funding shortfall. Families like Raheela’s, who cannot afford other options, must confront the bleak possibility of being uprooted without any obvious safety. This situation runs the possibility of causing mass migration, further destabilising Kabul, and increasing humanitarian demands throughout the region if immediate action is not taken to reduce pollution and restore groundwater.

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